Spells of My Past
by Noxanomi Tyra
Summary: There's a lot that even the Dark Lord didn't tell his disciples before he was destroyed by baby Harry Potter...
1. His Daughter

My mother never told me much about my father. That doesn't mean I never knew him, or knew about him. It only meant that after his death my mother didn't know enough to tell me all there was to know. He never lived with us. He was far too busy to be a live-at-home sort of father, and he was much too infamous to be there for me all of the time. I didn't mind though.

My mother would always tell me how alike him and I were, about how our tempers were both short, or that I had his eyes. From what I did know about him through my childhood, I do have to admit that we did share a similar personality and great powers.

I remember seeing him as a child. Not as often as it could have been, but enough to at least be able to say that he was in my life. He would bring money for support in person, and normally come sometime around my birthday. There were times he would just show up out of the blue, or even send me gifts. He brought me my wand and several spell books, tarot cards and a crystal ball, medieval torture tools, daggers, and a few swords were among my favorites. One time when I was very young, he even brought me a snake that spoke to me (though I did later figure out that it was I speaking Parstletongue, rather than the snake speaking English). I did receive most of them, especially the weapons in the few years after his death by my mother's friend Bellatrix, whom was her maid of honor at the very small

I was around two-years old when my mother finally got word about my Father's death. I can still remember her hysteric shrieking and the long-haired blond man holding her up so as her face didn't smack onto the white marble floor of the foyer of our New England home. You can't forget something like that, even if you were very young when it happened.

"Emma..." he whispered to her, trying to calm her. "You'll wake your daughter..."

He obviously didn't see me watching from between the railings from the upstairs.

"Lucius, please...." Her voice was quiet, but shaking. "Is he alright?"

"His body is destroyed, but we are doing all we can."

"Bring him back, Lucius! He trusted you and Bellatrix above all others! If anyone can bring him back, you can!"

"Emma have some dignity! You are his companion! You represent him now!"

I saw her head raise some, and her posture straighten. "Companion," her voice sounded venomous. "I am his _wife_, Lucius! His_ wife!_" She shoved him back some. "You will show me the respect that you showed him! You will address me for what I am!"

He lowered his head in a slight bow. "I am sorry, my Lady..."

That was all I had to go on, a few names of old family friends and supporters.

In the years that followed his death, I became more and more like him. Short-tempered, malevolent, dark, all in his honor. I'd kill the little brat that took my father from me.

It started with my mother's cat. It would walk around my room and spit up hairballs and piss all over my things. I put up with it for three months. One day, when I was about three, I lured him into the bathroom, and drown him. A few months after that I was catching birds and cutting the heads off.

My killing sprees got more numerous and more violent. I was pouring over the spell books and practicing an animals that wandered into my yard, or even the random muggle that I could lure back without my mother knowing. She wasn't a sympathizer, thank Merlin, but she did not want her only child going to prison or juvenile hall.

When I turned 14 I started to receive spell books again, at an almost rapid pace. I had no idea where they were coming from, but I didn't object or question. These new spells were intense, violent, and I loved every single one of them.

It was a shock to me, the day I came home and found a thick, black leather-bound book with a large skull and snake on the front of it. On top of it was a folded piece of paper, with my name scribbled in green ink.

I picked it up carefully, not wanting to ruin it.

_My daughter,_

_ It has been almost 15 years since I have been in your life. How I have missed training you. I'm sure you have become a magnificent witch by now, just like your mother. I look forward to coming back into your life. _

_ I have returned, to continue what I started 16 years ago. I was waiting to see if was safe to bring you to England to finish training you in my ways. _

_ Study hard my Layla. You are my daughter in every way._

_ Your father, _

_ Tomas M. Riddle_


	2. The Leaky Cauldron

My room was pretty much torn apart as I was gathering things to go to England with me. I didn't know what I'd need, or what my father would have for me already. I'm sure he talked to Bellatrix to find out enough to set up a room for me. At least, I'd hoped he did....

Boa was curled up in the sun on my bed. I'd named him when I was three, so I didn't have a very good imagination.

"It's a wonder he's contacting you now...." his slick voice hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "He was in hiding for the last 15 years, Bo. I'm glad he's still alive at least."

"Aren't you scared what death has done to him?"

I waved my wand at my trunk and put an expansion charm on it. I grabbed my all of my precious books and lay them in neatly, in order and strapped them down. "A little. But he's my father. He is a part of who I am."

He lifted his head and looked at me, his tongue flicking in and out. "I am going along, right?"

I laughed a little. "Of course you are! I'd never leave you behind!" I ran my finger down his head and long body, stroking him.

I pulled out sets of robes and other clothing that I often wore and packed it next, along with my bath stuff, my bath robe, shoes, all of my essentials.

I looked out my window and down at the beautiful Californian beach that was the current view. We'd moved from New England when I was about three or four, when all of the neighbor's animals had started to disappear at surprising rates. Strangely the "hawk" that had been sweeping off poodles magically stopped when we left town.

I finished piling and cramming absolutely everything into my trunk and looked around. The bare walls and floor were satisfying.

I flopped onto my stripped bed beside Boa and let him slither around between my fingers and up my arm.

"Do you think I'll do well, Bo?"

He looked at me lazily and bobbed his head. "Yes, I do...I think you'll make him proud of you, proud to be your father."

I smiled. "I hope I do."

*~*~*~*

After three connecting Floo networks, I made it a small pub called the Leaky Cauldron. It was a dank and dirty little hole in the wall, filled with ancient witches and wizards, talking and gossiping. I stumbled out of the fireplace, choking on soot.

"God, this place sucks..." I muttered to myself, coughing and dusting myself off. I grabbed the handle of my trunk and pulled, dragging it across the floor to the bar where a disgusting looking old wizard stood slumped over, drying beer mugs.

"S'cuse me?" He didn't look at me. I cleared my throat and said again, louder, "Excuse me?"

I gritted my teeth growling some. I smacked my palm on the bar and he jumped some, turning to look at me. He smiled wide, teeth yellowed and missing.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!"

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "I have a room."

"Oh, where is the lucky groom?"

I balled my hand in a fist. "NOT GROOM! ROOM!"

"Oh, yes, yes, we have plenty of rooms! Do you have a reservation?"

I was going to kill him, slowly and painfully. "Layla Priestly," I said slowly and clearly.

He looked through an ancient book on the bar and nodded, going to the wall looking for the key. "Thirteen....Thirteen...." he said, running his hand over the numbers.

He passed it four times and my patience was not holding out. I had a short fuse.

I reached over and grabbed the key from the hook and grabbed my trunk, heading up the rickety old stair case, trying to find my room.

I got to the top and turned the corner, finding my door on the left of the hallway. I jammed the key into the lock and jiggled it back and forth trying to turn the knob, but to no avail.

"Of for the love of MERLIN! Really Dad? Here?" I silently cursed him as I tried and re-tried. I even tried shooting it down and unlocking it with spells. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ worked.

I finally was pissed off to the point of wanting to kill something. I slammed my hand against the middle of the door and it popped open, swinging in.

"Great. This is just wonderful. I am SO GLAD that I get to stay here until Auntie Bells can come and get me."

I heard a hissing chuckle come from my pocket rolled my eyes.

"You shut up, Bo." I took him out and lay him on the floor. "Go catch the mice and rats for me. I need some new ingredients. You can have a nice fat one if you find it, though....."

He flicked his tongue out and slunk away across the dusty floor, leaving a trail behind him.

I went back into the hall and drug my trunk in setting it at the end of my bed and putting my shoes on top. I was afraid to crawl into my bed because the place was so old and disgusting, so I, instead, snuck up on it, as if it were going to run away.

I grabbed the edge of the top blanket and pulled it back. No bugs. So far, so good. I did the same with the middle blanket, same result. I was just about to heave a sigh of relief when I pulled back the sheet and saw the biggest, ugliest spider there ever was.

I started to scream and jump, and panic, something I did as a general rule around spiders.

Bo came slithering back quickly. "What?"

"Spider! There is a big-ass spider in my bed!"

"Really, you're seventeen and you still hate spiders THAT badly?"

"Would you please just get it out of my bed, and _then_ criticize me?

He wrapped around the pole of the bed and climbed up, striking out at the hairy monstrosity on my bed and ate it.

"Thank you."

"I hope you realize I don't like eating them. They're disgusting."

I smiled at him some. "But I appreciate it!"

"I get two mice for that," and with that he was gone again. I scoured the rest of the room for bugs and didn't find any.

Deeming that it was safe, I got out a few of my things and set them up. I took a shower and brushed my teeth, then lay back on top of the sheets in my bed, covering up with my own blanket from home.

*~*~*~*

I was awaken three days after my arrival by a knocking on the door. I drug myself up and towards the door and tugged it open.

I was expecting Bellatrix, so seeing another Death Eater was a surprise.

"Hello..."

He bowed a little to me. "Miss Priestly-"

"Miss Riddle if you don't mind..."

He nodded. "Of course. Miss Riddle, I'm here to take you back to your father's house."

"Where's Bellatrix?"

"She's on a mission for your father now."

I nodded some, wondering how he knew about me, but I assumed he was merely under my father's influence and he would not remember anything.

"Bo, come on!" I called him. "Boa!"

I saw him poke his head out from under my bed. "Stop yelling."

I grinned at him and pulled him out and let him wrap around my arm, which is how I normally carried him.

I threw his cage and everything I'd unpacked back into my trunk and shut it, locking all five of the locks and yanking on it. The thing weighed a ton, and I stumbled back

The man came over and picked it up easily, carrying it down the steps. Bo was snickering in my ear. I shushed him with a grin and followed the man down the steps and towards the fire place.


	3. Grave Robbers

Quick Author's Note: I have changed this slightly. She is arriving at Voldemort's home in June of 1996, right after Lucius was taken, and Draco was inducted. She is still 15 NOT 17 as was originally written in the first two chapters. Her birthday is in October, Halloween to be exact. Kthnxenjoi!

It was only after following the man through three different Floos and walking about three miles at least that I lost my temper. I threw my trunk down and sat on it.

"That's it! I'm done! My boots are killing my feet, its about 93 degrees out here-"

"There is no way that it could be 93 outside. We would all be melted puddles." he said stopping and turning to look at me.

Shit. Damn English and their damn Celsius. "It's the measurement of temperature in America. We have Fahrenheit. Not Celsius."

"Well that doesn't make any sense."

"You all don't make any sense to me!"

He just smiled at me some and motioned for me to follow him. "Come, it's not much farther."

"Damnit, I TOLD you! I'm not walking anymore! My feet are absolutely screaming in protest!"

"Feet do not talk, Miss Riddle."

Was he serious or was he being a smartass towards me? I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. "I am NOT moving. I need to rest. I've followed you all over England."

He sighed and leaned on a lamp-post on the corner. "Your father wants you there tonight for the meeting and if you keep sitting there whining, he'll have both our heads. I'd like to keep mine, thanks."

I groaned and stood up, pulling off my boots and throwing them into the trunk. "You're carrying that thing," I spat at him as I went past him.

"Of course."

He went back and picked it up effortlessly, carrying it on his shoulder as he lead me towards what looked to be an over grown cemetery.

He flicked his wand at the gate and the lock sprung open. He pushed it open, holding it for me as I passed.

I looked around. The only light was that which filtered down through all of the trees and moss, casting an erie green tinted light over the entire place. Tombstones jutted up everywhere between unkempt grass like cold icebergs in choppy waves.

There was no set path, rather one had to pick his way between the stones, and over the bodies of the ones below.

"Miss Riddle...this way," the man said, motioning for me to follow. I jumped over the tombstone I had been examining and followed him.

We picked our way through the overgrown grass and over hidden graves, long since forgotten by their families, by the light of day.

We made it to the top of a hill and he set my trunk down. He started to look around for something. But for what, I couldn't say.

I sat on top of my trunk and blew my dark bangs out of my face. "What's he looking for?" I hissed to Bo.

He lifted his head to look around, following the Death Eater with his big knowing eyes. "My guess?" came the soft hiss in my ear. "Portkey."

I sat back, looking up into the canopy of green above me, not thinking of anything in particular.

I heard someone running towards me, puffing, and tilted my head back up to see the man running back towards me.

"You certainly are out of shape for someone to be serving the Dark Lord...."

He gritted his teeth and forced a grin that resembled pain and loathing more than happiness. "I'm in just fine shape, Miss Riddle."

"Suuure you are..." I said, patting his cheek as I got up. "Where is this thing? I just want to be at the manor and done with this traveling!"

He picked up my trunk again and carried it down the hill, me following a few short stride behind him.

We reached the bottom of the hill, slightly slipping in the wet grass on the way down. Bo hissed at me when I slipped and landed on my arm, almost crushing him.

"Sorry!!" I said apologetically, stroking his smooth scaly head. He licked my finger once and rested his head back on my shoulder.

The Death Eater came back and pulled me back to my feet, then continued to hurry across the cemetery.

I had to speed walk if not jog to keep up with him, Bo making displeased noises at me. The man stopped dead in front of me and looked up. "Where's your trunk?"

"What? You didn't expect _me_ to carry that thing and keep up with you did you?"

He just rolled his eyes and raised his wand. "Accio!"

My trunk zoomed towards him and he blocked it, sending it tumbling to the ground. I growled, narrowing my eyes at him. "For your sake, my stuff better be alright."

He just rolled his eyes at me again and grabbed the handle, dragging it to what looked like a fresh grave.

He dropped my trunk, looking around for something again. He came back this time with a shovel and started to chop into the the ground, pulling away chunks of soft brown earth.

My eyes got huge. "You can't be serious! We're grave robbing now??"

He looked up at me, all patience gone from his face. "I don't care who you are, Dark Lord's daughter or not, you're a pain in the arse. Sit down, shut up, and let me do my job, alright?"

My mouth hung open with shock. I sat down, legs and arms crossed moodily. "My father will NOT tolerate you speaking to me like that!"

"Your father will more than likely murder me when I return with you."

"As I hope he does," I spat.

He continued to dig, and stopped only when we heard a dull _thunk_ of metal hitting wood.

He grabbed the coffin by one handle at the end and drug it up out of the tomb, blasting it open some unspoken spell.

I jumped back, narrowly avoiding being hit in the face with the lid, and peered over the side.

"That's a really dead old skeleton to be buried in such a new grave..."

"Your father planted it here with the Portkey. He's very paranoid, not wanting people to just waltz into he Manor whenever they please."

It made sense to me.

Inside, laid out upon mounds of emerald satin lay a corpse, rotted away to just bone. In its hands, it clutched a lethal looking long blade, the hilt encrusted with diamonds and emeralds. The blade itself was about as long as my forearm and about as wide.

He took ahold of my trunk and looked at me. "Ready?"

I nodded and together we touched the dagger.

There was an unpleasant tug behind my navel and before I could gasp, we were hurtling through the air.

*~*~*~*~*

When I stopped moving it was because I had landed on my face on the front lawn of a large Manor home.

I rolled over to my side, then to my back, trying to breathe correctly, wondering if my lungs were still working after a hit like that.

After a few deep, painful breaths, I pushed myself up. It was then I didn't feel Bo on my arm.

"Bo? Bo!!"

I started to panic, thinking that he'd flown off, or that I'd crushed him when I fell.

"BO!!!"

I heard a little hiss behind me and spun on my heels to see him slithering in a very dizzy zig-zagged path towards me.

I ran to him and scooped him up, cuddling him to my chest. "BoBo, I thought I'd crushed you!!"

He raised his head and looked at me. "I fell off your arm when you hit the ground. I'm alright..."

I kissed his head and carried him to my trunk, kicking it open. I rummaged around and found my wand.

The Death Eater was gone from the front yard, probably having already gone inside.

I flicked my wand and my trunk levitated into the house.


	4. Bad Future

By the time I got my things to my room and got back down, the meeting had started.

I opened the door as quietly as I could and shut it just as quietly behind me.

"You're _late_, Layla." I looked at him and he hadn't even turned his head to look at me.

I winced. It wasn't a harsh tone, but it sure was a strict one, and one that I wasn't accustomed to hearing. I hadn't heard him scold me since I was a year old.

"I know. I'm sorry, m'Lord..." I curtsied some and hurried to his side.

This time he graced me with a look, his eyes serious. "Do not let it happen again."

With that, he went back to speaking to his loyalists.

I looked around the table at all of the followers my father had amassed. Though some were rather old, there was one boy, about my age. He looked bored and was not paying attention. He looked up and caught my gaze, then his face grew into a smirk. I knew that look, that face. He was Lucius's son.

I smirked back at him as his eyes caressed me up and down. It was like he was raping me with his eyes. Not that I much minded. He wasn't so bad looking himself. I gave him a small wink

My father had stopped speaking and was looking at the blond-haired boy. "Young Malfoy, I would hate to think that you are eyeing anything but myself at this table.

His cool blue eyes snapped back to my father. "No, My Lord."

Father held an air of skepticism. "Of course not...." he drawled.

Malfoy looked up at him, his eyes holding a false innocence, like a two year old being caught reaching into the cooking jar, and in being caught, swore his innocence.

"I have one more announcement this evening. I would like to present to you Layla Priestly-Riddle, my one and only daughter."

The shock in the air was almost tangible at that moment. Malfoy's face actually showed his surprise.

"I look forward to being here, and to working," my eyes wandered to the blond who was looking me over still, "with all of you."

The old perverts muttered to each other with satisfied grins.

I rolled my eyes a little. I looked to my father.

"May I go to my room, Father?"

He nodded at me, dismissing me with a wave of his hand.

I curtsied again and left, going up to my room, my skirts rustling in the silence of the manor.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I came out of my room, my nose stuck into my favorite spell book. I only got a few paces before I slammed into someone, making me stumble backwards.

I hit the floor and heard someone hit the floor right after me. I put my book down, prepared to give whoever a verbal lashing, but looked up and met a pair of cool blue eyes, clear as crystal.

Malfoy got up and held out his hand to me. "Are you alright?"

I took it and he pulled me easily to my feet. I smiled one of my mesmerizing smiles at him, and nodded some. "Yes, I'm fine. You?"

"Fine," he said assuredly. There was a moment's pause, then, " So, why are you here? I've never seen you around before."

I raised my eyebrow at him.

He did it right back. "All I meant is where have you been all this time?"

"America, with my mother."

"Oh, so you're like an embarrassment to him or something."

"Of course not!" I said, appalled that he could ever assume that _I_ would ever be an embarrassment.

"Then why have you been in America for 16 years?"

"I was born over there, and to make sure we were kept safe, he never told anyone. He would come to see us when I was a baby, but then that brat Harry Potter destroyed him. It was only a little while ago that I learned of his return. I've been planning since January to come here and take my place next to him."

"Wow," was all he said.

We walked around for a few minutes in silence, then he said, "Are you a badass?"

I looked over at him, wondering what the hell kind of question that was. "I'm not a muggle and mudblood sympathizer if that's what you mean."

"I'm just trying to see if your soft or if you take after your father," he said thoughtfully.

"I am my father's daughter."

He smirked at me. "Alright."

I stopped and gave him a playful smirk back. "I'm sorry, do you find that attractive?"

"God, no..."

I raised my eyebrow at him skeptically. "Right. Your erection says otherwise."

"You enjoy torturing people?"

"Yes."

He just looked me over, almost like he wasn't sure what to think of me, like he didn't know whether to be scared, or turned on by me.

"What's he like as a father?"

I chuckled a little, continuing to walk down the hall with him. "He's strict, but he dotes upon me. As long as I please him, he's kind to me."

He laughed a little, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his faded jeans. "Where all have you lived in America?"

"California is where I came from when I came here. I also lived in Washington state and when I was really little I lived in Maine."

"A bunch of us went to New York once. We went to see the clubs and to go party."

" 'Us?' They're all....so _old...._"

He laughed some. "I meant my friends from school, not those old perverted bastards from the meeting. God no."

"Ooh," I said softly, heaving a light sigh. "I've never been around people much, especially ones my own age."

He nodded some, acting like he understood my dilemma. "Are you going to Hogwarts this year?"

"I'm not allowed. Father doesn't want me around all of those mudbloods and half-breeds. Frankly, I can't see how you stand it....Malfoy, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Draco. And yeah, I know. It's a pain in the arse. Stupid little mudbloods and God you can't even imagine how annoying Potter and posse are..."

"I can't wait until he's dead," I hissed.

"Soon," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It had better be..."

"It will be, so long as everything goes according to plan."

I gave a quick nod.

I hated that kid. I really did.

We walked around a little more and I tried again to make conversation. "Do you play Quidditch?" I asked. He looked the type.

He looked at me like I was honestly the stupidest girl that ever live. "Of course I do," he chided in a 'um, DUH' kind of tone. I fought the urge to smack him or roll my eyes, or both. "I'm the captain of my team at Hogwarts."

I smiled a little. "Fascinating," I replied, my tone carrying a slightly sarcastic edge.

He rolled his eyes a little. "Wanna play?"

I glanced outside at the fading daylight. "Now?"

He shrugged. "Sure." Then he grinned at me. "Unless you'd rather read your girly romance novel...." He nudged my hand that held my book.

"It's a black magic spell book, you ass!" I quipped, smacking him with the thick volume. "Spell. Book."

He just chuckled at me, rubbing his arm where I'd smacked him. "So, you wanna play?" He smirked.

Part of me wanted to hit him again for keeping on smirking at me like he did. Yet part of me was being compelled to throw myself at him. That evil, nasty, sexy smirk of his...it _did _things, scary things that it should not be doing to me.

I wasn't the kind of girl to throw myself into a man's arms and beg him to take me. I was the girl that the boys threw themselves at. On the few rare occasions that I had been able to have a boy in my bed, he was always a man, not some pubescent teen boy. And I had never felt any attraction to them other than "Hey, I'm hot, you're hot, wanna go do it?"

But this boy...wow. He was beautiful in every single sense of that word. His fitted shirt gave one the idea that beneath the poly-cotton blend material lay a pale plane of toned flesh, strong, lined, beautiful. There was no way that he could be flawed. The only mark to him was the black one that took up his forearm on his left arm; the Dark Mark.

I heaved a sigh, shaking thoughts of him from my head. This guy was an asshole, just like every other Death Eater, just like his father. (I really didn't like Lucius, more like I enjoyed egging him on, knowing there was nothing he could do to his master's only child. Ahhh...It was good to be royalty.)

"I'm not supposed to be outside, especially after it starts to get dark."

He quirked an eyebrow at me, almost disbelievingly. "He's afraid someone's going to just snatch you right out of the back yard?"

I nodded a little. "Yeah."

He shrugged. "Alright. See you around then." He turned and headed towards the stairs.

I fought back a groan and ran after him a few steps catching his hand. "Wait...."

He turned and looked down at his large, calloused, yet gentle hand in my smooth-skinned little one, and looked like he was fighting back the urge to smirk. Again. "Yes?

I took a deep breath and bit my lip once. "Look, I may be a hardass, but I am a girl and a teenager. And a very lonely one at that."

I pulled him into my room, him following behind me, his hand still in mine.

I shut the door behind him and leaned on it, locking it. I watched him as he took in my room. "Nice," he muttered, looking at my blank walls, nearly devoid of decoration for the time being.

"Thank you," I responded, offering a small smile.

"What do you do for fun since Daddy doesn't let you go outside?" He picked up another volume of my spell book laying on my bedside.

I shrugged a little, pushing myself up off of the door and going to my bed, flopping down on it, praying he'd be careful with my books. "I read. A lot."

"Read what? I mean, besides your beloved spell books." He put it back and shoved his hands deep in his pockets, regarding me curiously.

"Fantasy," I grinned, teasing him.

He just looked at me, one eyebrow raised, like I was crazy. Honestly, considering who my family was, I wouldn't be surprised if maniacalism ran in my blood. "Such as?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know," I snipped, a little testy. "I don't do much. I like to torture things...And people. And I love my black spell books.

He shook his head at me, chuckling some. "Like father, like daughter," he chuckled, sliding down into a chair along the wall.

I smiled a little bit at him. "I do like Quidditch. I've read about it. When I lived in Maine I like to play a little. But I was by myself and it was rather pointless."

He nodded some. "The more players, the better."

"I'll have to come and watch a match sometime.

He chuckled. "You'd love it. It's near violent."

I laughed a little, then sat up some more, gasping some. "Oh! I also do tasseomancy and tarot cards, and all that sort of stuff."

He looked a little impressed. "Are you any good at it?"

I grinned. "Most days."

He returned my child-like grin. "Do me?"

My face went blank, and I blinked at him, then turned bright red. My stupid American perverted mind.

I could have died as I saw him smirking at me, knowing what I must have thought. "Here, sit closer..." I said, my face hot and, I was sure, bright red.

I turned away from him, leaning across my bed to get to the other night stand where my tarot deck was stashed. I took a deep breath and fought back my embarrassment. When I turned back around I saw his eyes flick upwards. Like he'd been watching my ass.

My dark lips curved up in a half smirk. "Stop that."

"Can't help it..." he grinned back at me.

I rolled my eyes, still smirking some as I shuffled my worn out deck. I spread them out in front of him. "Pick three."

He looked them over and selected three at random. I laid them out, bottom to top, vertically. "Pick two."

He picked two more. I laid those on either side of the middle card, forming a sort of cross.

He looked at me over the cards. "........Now what?"

I laughed quickly, but bit it back, grinning some. "Now," I said mysteriously, "I read them...."

He laughed a bit to himself at my love for the dramatic, but watched me as I flipped them over and did the reading.

"The card in the middles is the Seven of Cups or Temptation. It's reversed. Determination and resolve, an independent resolution to move ahead with eyes open.

"Strength is at the top. it represents imagination. there will be a triumph over your base instincts and moral resolve." I glanced up at him. "I doubt you'll do anything with much creativity." He just rolled his eyes at my teasing.

I continued. "The left side is emotion and there is the Nine of Cups, reversed. It means you will try to be distant and not cleave or cling to others, and misleading freedom

"The bottom is thought. It is the Page of Swords. there is an imposter in your way

"finally, in the spot of manifestation, the right spot, there is the Judgement card. Resurrection and rebirth, Perfection of body and soul, and your final reward....or punishment."

He stared at me. "Translation?"

"You have a choice you're facing and soon enough you'll be able to make your own choice about it with a new way of thinking. There will be a person, most likely the fake or impostor that cards told, that you will try not to cleave to ((cleave=glue, or to become attached to)). However, I think over time, you'll give in, thus going against your base instincts as well. In the end your choices will reap for you your ultimate fate, either in form of a reward or a punishment."

I heard him sigh and looked up at him. "Great. A bad future."

I gave him a confused look. "What's bad? I said reward."

"Yeah, or punishment. In case you haven't guessed it yet, I'm not exactly a model citizen..."

I laughed a little. "Father will reward you for doing great things in his name." I reached out and touched his cheek.

His skin was smooth there, no hint of stubble or scruff, and very warm.

He nodded a little and I gave him a genuine smile, dropping my hand. I gathered my cards up and leaned back across my bed to put them back into their proper place.

"So...." he said, obviously watching my backside again.

I sat back up and shook my head a little at him, not bothering to hide my amusement. "So what?"

"What do you want to do?"

I looked over at him, searching for some hidden meaning to his words, and finding none.

I sighed. "Okay, here's the deal. I'm almost four months without anything, and I'm really turned on right now.

His grin widened. "So you're saying...."

I grabbed his collar, and sat on my knees in front of him, pulling his lips to meet mine roughly. He kissed back hard, his hands finding my hips.

Our hands and fingers worked expertly with each other, each of knowing what to do, where to touch, how to touch.....


	5. My Favorite

After a little while, we collapsed on my bed, laying beside each other. His rough fingers played with mine as I laid with my head on his arm. I glanced over his glistening body at the mirror, and sure enough my eyes were glittering, like they always did after a go.

I looked back at his face, up into his beautiful, crystal gaze, and he smiled some. "Hey, beautiful."

I giggled a little. "Hey yourself."

He pushed some of my dark hair back out of my face. "You were amazing."

I smirked some. "Me and how many other girls."

"A fair few." He smirked, then nibbled on my ear. "But you're definitely the best."

I rolled my eyes a little and pushed him back some, giving him a 'stop it' look. "I'm sure I'm not the first to have heard that line of crap."

"Well, this time I mean it!" he protested, making me giggle.

He looked at me for a few seconds. "So....want to go again?"

"Now?" I said, surprised.

"Of course, now."

I smirked nastily at him. "Please, you couldn't hold out."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Me? You think that _I_ can't hold out? I'm insulted at your lack of faith in my anatomy!"

I touched his face, my eyes wanting. "Prove me wrong then..." With that, I pulled his face to meet mine and we started all over again.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He held me, panting the second time.

"Whoa..." was all that I could say.

He grinned down at me. "Yeah. Told you." His fingers ghosted over my spine.

I ran my fingers over the toned lines. I don't care how wonderful my imagination was, I would have never guessed he had such a ripped, toned up body like he did. It was beautiful and wonderful under my fingers, like warm, slick silk, flawless, perfection....

"Okay, so maybe you are the best."

"Thought so," he smirked.

I pursed my lips and punched him in the chest, accidentally knocking the wind out of him.

He gasped as he rolled to my side, choking and trying to get his breath. "Wh-what the Hell?!"

I giggled some, but gave him a pointed look. "That was for being a conceited ass! See, I _know_ I'm the best, but I played it off as whatever. I wasn't a jerk about it." I kissed his neck and his ear a little.

He rolled his eyes. "But I _am_ the best."

"Well, I am too."

"Then I guess we are the best that there is."

I looked at him then rolled my eyes some, kissing at his jaw bone before sitting up and pulling my undergarments back on.

I didn't feel him move for a few seconds, but as I was pulling my bra straps up, I felt him get up and heard material rustling as he got his boxers back on.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "I'm so glad you're not the cuddling kind."

He chuckled a little, "I get enough of that at school.

"Ew."

"Yeah, tell me about it. The girls there all want relationships and cuddling and all of that sappy shit."

"And you still do them?" I said, slightly repulsed.

He shrugged some. "It's either that or nothing."

"Ugh, I'd sooner go without." I pulled on a night gown that I'd grabbed out of my drawer and threw my clothes from the day into my hamper basket.

He looked at me, amazed. "You'd be willing to go a year without a shag?"

I turned and looked at him, my hands on my hips. "_No,_ I'd be willing to off of the campus to find someone."

"We can't go off campus," he protested.

I smirked. "That's why _I_ am the Dark Lord's daughter, and _you_ are not."

"Lucky you," he said, his tone hinting sarcasm.

"Yes," I said with a gentle sigh as I sank into the chair he had first been setting in. "Lucky lucky me."

He pulled his jeans on, silently.

"What?" I said, my eyes roaming over his bare, perfect chest. I moved to sit on the bed.

He looked at me. "I didn't say anything." He pulled his belt to fit.

His jeans hung low on those sculpted hips, and a trail of light-coloured hair ran from his navel down. I tore my eyes from the body that had made love to me and up to the face of the god to whom the body belonged.

"Draco...." was all I managed to get out.

He looked down at me, the candlelight dancing on his still-moist body. "Yeah?"

I pulled him down onto the bed with me, kissing him

He kissed me back, with, what felt like, want, longing, and passion. I kissed him more, my fingers winding into the damp silk of his hair. His arm snaked around me, his hand cupping my ass.

As we kissed like that, I found my mind wandering to places it had never been, and my heart feeling things it had never felt.

One word that came to my mind, stronger than the others was commitment.

I pulled back, breaking it. He grinned down at me, his hand in my hair, the other holding my butt.

"You have to go," I said, pulling from his grip.

He stared at me. "What, why?" He was obviously confused.

He wasn't the only one.

"You just do." I rolled off of the bed and took a breath, clearing my head. I didn't think like this, like a teenage girl who was boy crazy. That wasn't me. I need to stop. _He_ needed to stop. Stop being so alluring and sexy. Yes. That was it. It was him, not me.

He sighed and got up, pulling his shirt on over his muscled body and grabbed his robes from the chair. He looked me over and sighed, "See you around, Layla," and headed for the door.

I fought back a groan and jumped across my bed grabbing his hand. "Draco...."

He stopped, a little startled it seemed, and turned to look back down at me. His face was light and playful, his soft lips, pulled up into smile as he laughed at me. "Yeees?"

"Don't leave angry at me. I need friends." I climbed over my bed and stood before him, biting the inside of my cheek.

He laughed again. "I'm not angry, Layla. The Dark Lord will kill me if he sees me here."

I nodded some. "I know, that's why I said you should go."

He pulled me to his chest, kissing me deeply, then let me go. "See you."

"Bye," I called gently after him.

I shut the door behind him, locking it. I lay my forehead against the cool, smooth wood, taking deep breaths in and out, trying to figure what the hell was wrong with me.

"Don't ever do that again with me in the same room."

I screamed a little and jumped, whipping around to see Bo's head poking out from under my bed. "Merlin, don't _do_ that to me, Bo!"

He gave a hissing chuckle and crawled up my bed post, getting eye level with me. "I didn't mean to scare you, but that was uncalled for. Do you know how much trouble you'll be in if your father finds out about that?"

I waved my hand dismissively, pulling off my sheets and throwing them into the hamper as well, hoping I could get them clean myself before the house elves did it. (If there was one thing I hated more than muggles, it was house elves.)

I put new sheets on my bed and got under them, pulling the big, puffy green comforter up over me, as I looked at Bo, propped up on one elbow.

"He doesn't care what I do."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Layla."

"Oh, stop worrying your scaly little head about it. I'm exhausted." I fell down into the pillows, pulling the down material up over my head, my arms around my pillow, hugging it tight to my chest.

As I closed my eyes, I pretended not to hear him hiss, "I'm sure you are."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I spent about a month in that manor, alone. Well, not so much alone in the fact that I had Father and a few of his loyalists, but alone as in the only girl, and the only teenager.

Fenir Greyback stayed with my father. He was a big, burly werewolf. He actually made me uneasy, not scared, just...uneasy. He looked like he could rip me apart with one tug and that thought made me not want to be around him more than I needed to be.

Also, in that time of being alone, my father took a sudden interest in my room and laundry, wanting to make sure I was dressing in a fashion that would be pleasing to him. He torched most of my pants and jeans, leaving me with my skirts. I didn't mind, since it's what I wore most anyways, but I had liked a lot of those pants. He also got to my dirty laundry before me, and saw my sheets. I made up some lame excuse, but he wouldn't hear it and smacked me across the face, his ring cutting into the side of my face, threatening anyone who came near me.

Needless to say, I was grateful for the meeting that came up and he was too preoccupied to deal with me.

I slipped into the meeting, setting down drinks for a few of them as it started, then fell into my place, standing behind my father's seat.

I looked around at them as he droned on and on. My eyes settled on Draco and he gave me a small smile. I dropped my eyes, my injured cheek towards him. When I looked back up, he was paying attention again, and acting as if I were a part of the wall, just like I wished I could be.

I sighed some, leaning against the wall, praying for a quick meeting so I could leave.

To my relief, it was a short meeting. I pushed myself to stand up and took a step towards the door.

"One more thing this evening, before you are dismissed to dinner or to your homes. I want to make this perfectly clear. My daughter is off limits." I froze, my eyes huge. "The breaking of these boundaries are punishable by death. She will be treated with the same respect that all of you show me."

My eyes flicked over to Draco, and I could see his face pale. There were mutters of acknowledgment, while a few younger members looked terrified.

None quite so much as Draco, though. He had gone past pale and was looking slightly green.

He looked them over, then said quietly, "Go."

I clenched my hands into fists to keep my hands from shaking. I walked slowly, lagging as the last one in the room.

From the hall, I heard Father speaking. "Young Malfoy, why are you still waiting around?"

I stayed at the door, my ear pressed to it, listening.

"I was going to ask Ms. Riddle if it were possible to borrow her spell book. I was...just curious to learn more." His voice sounded a lot stronger, a lot more confident than he had looked just a few moments ago when he was basically given a death sentence.

"Layla!" Father yelled.

I pulled the door open and hurried into the hall. "Yes, Father?"

"Show Mr. Malfoy your collection that I've bought you."

I nodded and bowed my head. "Of course, Father."

I didn't look at Draco, only headed up to my room, Draco following me.

When I was sure my father could no longer hear or see us, I heaved a huge sigh. I opened my door, and let him in, then locked it behind us.

About two seconds after that, I felt a warm, gentle hand on my face, pulling it up to looking into that of an angel's.

"Did he do that to you?" Draco asked softly, turing my face slightly so he could examine the cut.

I sighed and pulled away from him some. "Yes, he did."

"I'm so sorry, Layla. I didn't think he'd find out."

"It's fine. It was punishment...for something else." I flopped onto my bed.

He nodded some. "Like what?"

I bit my lip. "He....found my sheets..."

"Then he did find out!"

I looked up at him from my bed. "He doesn't know who it was, just that it was."

"I'm still sorry he hurt you because of me."

"It didn't hurt," I pointed out, and got up, going to my bookcase, scanning the titles.

"He's pretty pissed about this isn't he?" he noted.

I looked over at my shoulder at him. He had his hands deep in his pockets, and was looking around, taking in what had changed since the previous month.

"He'll forget all about it in a day or two."

He chuckled some, then sighed. "I guess that means your definitely not allowed out now."

I gave him a weird look, wondering what that was supposed to mean. "I guess not. You're allowed here." I found the book I'd been looking for and plucked it from the shelf.

The soft black leather it was bound in felt familiar as my fingers grazed over it.

"Yeah, but I'll die if he finds us, remember?" His voice drifted over to me, sounding almost scared.

I looked over at him and tossed the book at him, and he caught it lightly. He had the reflexes of a Quidditch player. "Thanks," he said lightly.

I nodded some. "There are some good ones in there. Take care of it, it's my favorite."

He gave me a small smile. "Will do."

We stared at each other, not sure how to act. "You'd...better go, Draco," I said finally, breaking the deafening awkwardness.

"Yeah, I should. It's getting late anyways, Mum will be worried. See you next meeting."

I walked to the door to unlock it and let him out. He stepped over the threshold and turned around. He took my hand it kissed it quickly, "Thanks again," then vanished.

I shut and locked my door again, leaning on it, my hand still tingling from where his silky lips had touched.


	6. A Torturous Game Called Love

I didn't know what was making me feel so sick, what was causing me to feel so dizzy after Draco left.

I went to my window and opened it, staring out at the moon and the stars. The wind was blowing gently, blowing dark wisps of around me.

Only one thing was on my mind that evening, everything else was blurred away. Nothing else mattered except those sapphire eyes, the silken hair between my fingers and against my skin as he was kissing me, the hot, smooth lips like a combination of fire and ice up and down my neck and body.

Draco.

Just thinking of our night together, made chills jump up all over my skin.

I closed my eyes, letting the wind dance across my skin, just like the ghost of his lips, let it tug on my hair like the gentle pull of his fingers combing through it. The mere thought of his name made my blood pound fast and hard through my veins. I wanted to feel him again, his skin against mine, embracing mine, loving mine.

Love....

My eyes snapped open. Love.

There was no way that I was falling for him....was it? That was stupid. I'd seen him about three times. Plus, I didn't fall for guys. They fell for me, and used them. That was how the world worked. I didn't pine, I didn't want to be tied down. Plus, I didn't know how to be a girlfriend. I'd never really "dated" anyone.

I searched my heart, thinking of Draco and expecting what I felt when I thought of him.

"Oh my God, I'm falling in love...."

Bo looked up at me. "And?"

I shot him a look. "Love makes you a weak, pathetic, bumbling fool. I'm stopping this. Now."

Bo sighed and lay his head back down. He'd been looking sick for days.

I pushed my problems aside and sat down, stroking his head and back. "What's wrong, Mi amore?"

His tongue flicked out at me, but he didn't say anything, just lay there, looking pathetic. And pale.

"Boa...." I picked him up and lay on my back, holding him on my stomach. "Talk to me, BoBo, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel well."

"Bad mouse?" I said teasingly.

He just looked at me. "You just won't get it. You don't believe in it."

"Love? Oh please. Who could you be in love...." I trailed off as I looked at my poor little snake. "Nagini?"

He made a hissing whining sound. "Don't say her naaame..."

I stared at him. "First of all, compared to you, she's an anaconda. Second of all, she's a LOT older than you, and a lot meaner."

"Like you and your beaux."

"I do NOT have a beaux. I _had_ a boy toy. Also, he is older than I am, by almost five months if my math is correct."

"Does that really matter? She's beautiful...her scales shine like the light on the water, her eyes are like black diamonds in the firelight, her tail is-"

"Oh, just STOP already! I don't want to hear the poetry of her anatomy, thank you!" He let his head fall back against my stomach, and whined again. "Find a nice garden snake to cuddle up with, not Nagini."

He rolled off of my stomach and drug himself slowly over to the bed post and crawled down. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

I blinked. "Bo-"

"Just leave me alone to sulk, please." With that, he disappeared under my bed.

I felt bad for crushing his little snaky hopes, but I couldn't let him get hurt.

Just as I wasn't going to let myself get hurt or become a weak-minded, dependent puddle, who fawned and worshipped the ground their man walked on. That wasn't me. It was never going to be me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The beginning of August brought another meeting with it. I stood behind Father's chair, purposefully avoiding having to look at the table. My jaw was set, a hard, cold look on my face, my eyes distant and set on a spot above the door. The meeting was short that night, and I stayed to clean up a few of the glasses.

I walked out the door and down towards the kitchens, searching for one of the filthy house elves to take the glasses and wash them. I heard the sounds of footfalls following behind me on the ancient wood floors of the house.

"What?" I snapped some, turning to face Draco.

He stopped mid-step, one foot hovering a good inch or two above the ground. He set it down gently and looked at me. "Do you wanna go to your room for a little?"

"No," I answered curtly. "I want my book back."

He took it out of his back pocket and held it out towards me.

I snatched it, looking at him, not cracking a smile.

He gave me a weird look. "Are you...alright?"

"I'm perfect, never better."

"Okay....whatever..."

I shook my hair back over my exposed shoulders and saw his eyes linger down to my chest, then flick back up at me. "How's school for you?" I said, not really with much emotion or care.

"Boring. "

"And your snuggling females? Find any yet?" I started towards my room, him following me. I didn't really want him in there, considering what could happen in there, but I did want to talk to him still, even if there wasn't much more than small talk.

"Well, there is this girl, and our parents want us to get married. We date on and off."

"Yes, Pansy Parkinson," I said with a smirk.

He chuckled behind me. "Yeah, her. She's such a bitch, but she's a good shag.

"Yes, I would assume. Her father copped a feel my first night here."

"Ew, sick perverted old men."

"Yes, tell me about it. All of the ones that live here have been grabbing my backside for weeks." I felt myself becoming comfortable around him again, felt myself falling back into the direction in which I was forcing myself to run from. My jaw tightened some. "Some of them have proved to be quiet useful, however." Oh Hell. Where did that come from? Oh well, it'd come out of my mouth, better put the Layla-charm on it to make it believable. I put on a smirk.

He quirked a pale eyebrow at me. "Useful?"

"Yes, useful," I smirked wider.

"Ugh!" He looked disgusted at the sight of me. It stung, but it was better than him taking a fancy to me, I thought, that's for sure. But then a sly smirk wiggled its way onto his face, like a worm would wiggle out of its hole. I didn't like the maliciousness behind that look.

"You like _older_ men?"

"I like men with experience. All of them were purely physical." Myheart was screaming at my brain and my mouth to just shut up and to stop digging me into a deeper hole, or to keep me from pushing him away more than I already was.

"So you'd rather screw old men?"

I whipped around and faced him, my cheeks burning, my eyes narrowed at him. "Show some respect to the elder members."

He rolled his eyes at me slightly. "So, _Ms. Riddle_, you'd rather screw old me?

I gritted my teeth. I'd rather have someone not whining at me all of the time!" I snapped at him, and of course, meaning him to be the whining party.

He put his hands up in sarcastic defense, and his tone just dripped with mocking. "So _sorry,_ Miss Riddle! Shall I fetch you one of your 90 year olds for you-?"

A smack echoed down the hall, cutting him of as I'd brought my hand down across his cheek. He inhaled sharp when my rings and nails had nicked him for a moment, but in a flash he was just staring down at me, holding his cheek, his eyes glittering, his eyes lips curved into that stupid smirk that made me want to rip his head off so he could never do it again.

I glared at him a few seconds longer, my eyes burning, and turned on my heel, going into my room and slamming my door.

I heard a faint 'pop' on the other side of my door, and knew he was gone. I slammed the flat of my palm and cursed him in silence for being such a prick.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next few times I saw Draco Malfoy, I acted as if he did not exist, because, to me, he _could_ never exist. Not anymore.

I couldn't really blame him for treating me the same way. I was a bitch to him. But it got him to leave me alone, and for that, I had to try to be grateful. He never went out of his way to come and find me.

I think the only thing that was said to me was, "Excuse me, Miss Riddle, I need a word with your father," one evening when I was standing with Father talking to him. It would have been perfectly polite to anyone else, but his eyes, and his tone, they held such a contempt for me, such a loathing, it almost hurt. Almost.

Later that night, Father called me into his study. "Layla."

"Yes, Father?"

"Was it the Malfoy boy?"

I sighed. "Really? Not this again. I told you, Father, I don't _know_ who he was. He was just a random Death Eater."

"I do believe you're lying to me."

"Oh, really?"

He stared at me blankly.

I glared some. "Why do you even care who it was, or what I did? Why is that important?"

"You are _my_ daughter and you will do as_ I _say!"

"Father, that's not even fair! You won't let me leave, yet you won't let me keep company while I'm here!"

"I do not have to have any reason other than the fact that you are my child, and you will obey me!"

"I'm almost 16! That's one year from being an adult!"

"Yet you continue to act like a child!"

"Only because you treat me like one!"

He got up and smacked me across the face before I'd even know what hit me.

I gasped and held my stinging, burning cheek, feeling the blood well and drip to my fingers, making them sticky.

"Layla Rosalie Riddle, I swear on the name of Merlin if you continue the attitude with me, I will have nothing to do with you!" he roared at me.

I shrank back half a step, lowering my shaking hand to my side. "I'm sorry, Father..."

He just looked at me his eyes like the Gates of Hell. "Get out."

I hurried out of the study and up to my room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The following week there was another meeting in preparation for a raid that was coming up. I longed to go, but I knew, after my display to Father, he'd never let me go. I wasn't ready, he was right, I still was acting like a child.

I was walking out of the meeting and up the stairs when Draco caught up to me. We reached the landing and he took my elbow. "Layla...."

I looked back at him, his voice soft and kind, the way it used to be.

He reached up and touched the spot where the scratches still lingered. "What happened?"

"Father hit me," I responded quietly, looking away from his face and down to my feet.

"What'd you do?" He dropped his hand but still stood in close proximity to me. I could feel his warm breaths making wisps of my hair flutter.

"I got into a fight with him."

His breath caught and his jaw dropped. "You what?! Are you bloody stupid?!"

"Apparently," I said, nonchalantly.

"You'd have to be to pick a fight with him! Even if he is your father, that's just stupid."

"Thank you," I said sarcastically. "Thank you so much for pointing out that I'm an idiot!"

"Not a problem. But what in the name of Merlin could have been so important?"

I dropped my gaze again. "Nothing...." _Protecting your life from my father...._

He shrugged some. "Alright...See you Layla...."

"Bye..." I said softly as he turned and held up a hand in farewell, and ran down the steps.

I sighed and just headed back to my room.


	7. A New Member

I stood on my balcony, looking out over the large yard and the forrest that sat on my father's property. It was twilight, and I was alone. Bo was off catching mice and other small rodents for dinner, leaving me alone in the house.

There was no meeting tonight, but Father was hosting a dinner for the families of Death Eaters. I'd told him that I wasn't feeling too well, and that I'd rather stay in my room that night. He'd begrudgingly agreed to let me miss.

We'd been getting along better now since we'd both calmed down and silently agreed to let the past be the past.

The wind was blowing my hair gently, and it smelled like Autumn outside. I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds; the wolves in the forrest, the leaves blowing on the cracked concrete below, dried and crinkling, dead. I loved the Fall.

I heard my door open and someone walked across the room towards me, then tap gently on the wooden frame of the double doors that led to my balcony.

I turned around and looked up into those icy crystal eyes that haunted me. "Draco, hi..." A small smile found its way to my lips. I couldn't help it.

He was grinning at me as he came and leaned on the railing next to me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just...thinking...."

"About what?" He turned towards me, leaning on the rail sideways, his eyes curious.

"Life, what's after it..."

"Like after death?"

I nodded and turned to look back out as I was before. "And what we're supposed to accomplish while we're here..." I turned my head a little so I could see him.

He looked deep in thought. "I'm not sure. We're here to work for you father...." His tone was a little apprehensive, like he wasn't very sure.

"You sound about as confident in that answer as I feel..."

He nodded some, looking out with me.

"What's happening in our world? Why are we so unsure of all of this?" My eyes widened some and I stiffened, standing up. "Why am I even talking like this, and to you about it? My father would kill you if he felt unsure about our duties."

He blinked at my quick change of moods and looked at me, studying me. Something shone in his eyes-hurt?-but I couldn't tell. "What, you don't trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone," I replied with a sour laugh.

"Come on, Layla. We've known each other for months."

"That doesn't mean anything. It can take a lifetime to build trust with someone."

I went to turn away but he grabbed my hand. "Give me a chance."

I stared. "What....chance?" What was he asking me? What chance did he need or want?

"A chance....." He stroked my hand with his thumb and brought it to his lips to kiss it, and I froze in shock.

Quickly, I shook it off and pulled my hand back and went back into my room.

"What?" he said, following me. I wished he'd just stay away. I'd been getting over it.

"You're living in a fantasy."

"How am I living in a fantasy?"

"There is _nothing_ between us. It was physical. It was one time. Now, it's nothing." It was making me ache to say it to him, to not just jump on him and tell him I'd give him a thousand chances. But I couldn't. I had to keep my distance. Being with him made me stupid and irresponsible and silly. I wouldn't let myself fall anymore.

He looked me over, his eyes burning into mine, as if he were searching, reading my soul, trying to find out what I really meant behind what I was saying. "Is that how you really feel?"

I looked down, pulling at a few of the beads that dangled of the edge of my corset, staying silent for a few moments.

"It's...how I have to feel..." I finally whispered. Automatically, I'd wished I hadn't said anything at all.

"It could work." He was across my room in a few strides, my hand in one of his, the other forcing me to look up into his beautiful face. "It could work."

I pulled away from him. "How do you figure?"

"I...I don't know. But it could, Layla, it could." He sounded like he was almost pleading with me, his voice desperate for me to understand.

I understood, but I couldn't let him know that. "You have no plans for your future, other than being a henchman to my father. You know nothing of the real world outside of your school and here."

"I'll figure it out," he pled.

I sighed, turning from him. "Draco..."

"What?"

"You need to go." I couldn't stand it. Any longer and I'd be back where I started and we'd both be dead. I looked back at him over my shoulder, and saw his face fall some. "Now."

His eyes went cold as he looked at me, a look similar to the one my father often wore when he was angry about something. "Fine. Miss Riddle," he said with an exaggerated bow. He stood and swept out of my room, his jaw set and his face blank.

I shut the door behind him and heaved a great sigh, my head falling against the wood with a loud 'thud'.

I hated being me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next evening I went down to Father's study and knocked lightly on the door. "Father?"

"Come in, Layla," he called. He didn't sound too displeased about anything.

I pushed the door open lightly and slipped inside, shutting the heavy oak door gently behind me. I walked up to the side of his desk and gave him a small bow of my head in respect. (I was at least trying.) "How are you, Father?"

"Well. Yourself?" He didn't look around at me from his work. I didn't know what he was doing, and I didn't ask.

"Troubled," I answered honestly.

"About what, my pet?" He continued to pour over his open books.

I took a deep breath. "Do you intend me to be single for my whole life?"

He stopped and slowly turned to look at me. His face showed a minimal trace of shock. "Why are you asking me this?"

I sat down in one of the high-backed chairs and pulled my legs up to my chest, resting my chin on them. "I don't know...I'm lonesome here all by myself." I looked up at him, my head slightly cocked to the side. "I may not want love, but I want a companion. You had Mom..."

He sighed some as he regarded me. "When I find someone suitable then you will have your companion."

I quirked my eyebrow at him. "Is there really anyone suitable enough in your eyes out there?"

"Possibly," came my short answer.

So much for that matter, on to my next plea.

I sighed a little and got up, going to his side and sitting on my knees at his feet. "Father, I adore you, I do." I took his cool hand in mine as I gazed up at him. "But I want to do more for you. I want to go out on raids with you, with your loyalists, to meet more of your followers...."

"Layla, absolutely not. My enemies, the Ministry...they could use you against me if they knew of you."

"Father," I said reasonably. "You know as well as I that I am better than half of those mutts you have working for you combined."

His lips pulled up into a small grin. "This is true, my child."

I smiled brightly at him. "I want to be out there, fighting, for _you,_ Father. I'd gladly give my life for the Cause."

He raised his hand and laid it on my head, his gaze distant as he thought about it. After a few seconds, his eyes dropped to mine as I watched hopefully. "I'll give you my answer tomorrow." He pulled me up to kiss my forehead. "Goodnight."

I stood up and smiled at him. "Goodnight, Father," I responded quietly, kissing his cheek and leaving his study.

I went up to my room and took a quick shower before I plucked one of my spell books off of the shelf and lay down across my bed, reading it.

It was one from when I was a lot younger, and I'd written in it, and drawn pictures to accompany the spells. I felt my eye lids growing heavy and eventually I fell asleep, my book open across my chest.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The following morning I woke up to the light streaming in my through my curtains. I groaned a little and flopped over, stretching and yawing. I finally sat up and saw a bulky package at the edge of my bed.

I yawned again and pulled it towards me, plucking off the tag and flipping it over.

_To my Dearest Daughter _was scrawled in green ink in my father's small calligraphy.

I smiled a little and pulled on the string, snapping it and pulled the paper off.

A mass of soft material rolled out into my lap and I gasped, standing up and holding up the robes. They were beautiful, black and emerald green. I pulled them on over my night dress and they fit me perfectly, as they should, hugging all of my curve like they were designed just for me. I smiled some. Knowing Father, these were actually crafted just for me and were not just some hand-me-downs. I looked in my mirror and gasped.

I ran out of my room and down the hall and stairs, slipping some in my bare feet, and into my father's study without knocking.

"Father!!" I cried, running into him and hugging him.

He chuckled some as he patted my head. "You like them, then?"

I pulled back, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes, oh yes! I love them! They're perfect! Thank you so much!"

He nodded. "You're most welcome. We have a meeting tomorrow, and I want you there, in a seat with the rest of us. I also want you to come along this weekend for our raid."

My eyes went wide and I knew they were shining with excitement. "Oh...Father!!" I hugged him again.

He seemed a little surprised that I was hugging him again and he hugged me back gently.

I let him go and looked up into his face. "I'm going to look up all of the spells I can this week!"

He chuckled again. "Practice well. If you need help, you know where to find me." He held out a small book to me and I took it. "These are some of the spells I created personally when I was your age.

I hugged it close to my chest. "I'll cherish it."

He smiled at me. "Good girl," he said fondly and then turned to go back to his work.

I left the study, my heart as light as a cloud.

The book was small, the size of a small notebook. It was bound in a tough kind of material, maybe a really dried piece of leather, with the initials T.M.R. imprinted on the front at bottom. _Tomas Marvolo Riddle_....

I got to my room and shut the door, sitting in one of my chairs and reading through it after putting on some normal rather than my pajamas, but putting my robes back on, the feeling of the soft silken lining against me felt comforting. I was being gentle with the book. It wasn't very big, and there weren't just spells in the book. There were potions and poisons and antidotes along with detailed notes on each, as well as on each of the spells. It was fascinating to see what my father had written, what he could do when he was only a little older than I was.

There was a knock on my door and I groaned a little, not wanting to put the book down. They knocked again and I laid the book on my bedside table and went to the door.

I pulled it open and gasped. "Bellatrix!!"

She was grinning at me. "Little Layla!"

I threw my arms around the woman who'd been like a second mother to me (before she'd gotten thrown in prison for torture, of course).

She squeezed me tight. "Oh, I haven't seen you in years! How are you?" She held me out at an arm's length to look me over.

"I'm wonderful! Look at my robes!!" I spun around so she could see, and she grinned at me. "Father's letting me go along this weekend!!"

"That's fantastic, Layla, us girls, fighting side by side." Her tone was absolutely giddy with excitement.

I grinned. "Yes. And, Bella, I'm counting on you to teach me."

She playfully bowed to me. "I am in your service," she grinned, then winked at me, making me laugh.

"I'm really excited. Father's never taken me before."

She grinned as she came farther into my room. "It's amazing, pet. It really is. Oh the rush!" She spun around and fell into a sitting position on my bed. "The rush of seeing the light leave their eyes, of seeing how they know what's coming, yet they can't bring themselves to move, it's unbelievable, like ecstasy...."

I giggled, sitting down with her. This is why I loved her so much. She was as crazy as a bat, yet completely normal, and she had such a passion for serving and obeying my father. She was my role model.

I lay back and stared at the ceiling as she leaned back on her palms. "Is Draco going this weekend?" I asked, not being able to help it.

She looked over and down at me and nodded some. "Yes, he's going." Then she smirked, a facial feature not completely unlike her nephew's. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, playing it off. "No reason. We're kind-of friends, I guess you'd say."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Young Draco is a very willing and aggressive wizard."

Willing and aggressive. Yeah, that pretty much pegged him, though I assumed she meant it in a different way than I did. "I know," slipped out before I could catch myself.

She laughed a little.

I looked over at her. "Bella, it isn't like that at all. You know my father would kill me." It really wasn't like that. Not anymore, at least.

"I do know."

"Alright then," I said with an air of finality.

She still was looking at me with a sly grin on her lips.

I gave her a look. "I _don't_ like him."

"Alirght," she said like she believed me. Her facial features proved otherwise. "So! What do you want to start with?"

It took me a second to realize she meant which spells I wanted to work on first. "Um..." I sat up and reached to pick up my father's book. I handed it to her and she flipped it over in her hands, then flipped through it. "Do you know any of these?"

She continued to inspect it for a few more moments, then shook her head, her long black hair bouncing slightly. "These are your father's private spells. I've never even seen them. I can help you with others, though," she added, handing me the book back.

I clutched to my chest. "I'll learn these on my own then. Do you mind helping me with others?"

Her eyes lit up. "Of course I don't mind!"

I grinned and jumped up, grabbing my wand and laying my father's book back on the night table.

She got up as well and we headed towards the back doors of the house.


	8. Dark Mark

Bellatrix trained me hard every afternoon that week. It was the evening before the meeting about the raid.

Bellatrix was shooting spell after spell at me and I was blocking and dodging. Sweat was running down my face as I jumped out of the way and fired spells back at her, but I was grinning, having the time of my life.

"Petrificus Totalus!" She yelled.

"Prego! Stupify!"

"Bombarda!"

I blocked one last one and it shot back at her, and she just deflected it into a hill. Tiny clots of grass flew up in the air as a mini-crater was formed. I laughed a little and fell to sit in the grass. "I'm wore out!"

Bella laughed, stowing her wand into her boots. "Go and get something to eat and get some rest. You've earned it."

I nodded and ran to her, hugging her again tightly. "I've missed you, Auntie Belles...."

She smiled and hugged me back just as tight. "I've missed you too, Little Layla." She kissed my head.

I grinned and ran off inside, grabbing an apple from the kitchen and heading back up to my room.

I pulled my boots off and tossed them into my closet, and threw my socks into the hamper. I took my beautiful new robes off and hung them over the chair, running my hand over the material lovingly.

"You love those robes more than me," Bo hissed with jealousy from my bed post.

I turned an looked at him. "You're a jealous little thing aren't you?"

"I'm not little." His tongue flicked out towards me. "You taste disgusting. Like dirt and sweat."

I laughed some as untied my corset at the one side and slipped it off. "I was training with Bella again today." I slid my skirt off and tossed that as well into the hamper.

"How'd it go?"

"Well! I'm getting better at dueling!"

"You were never bad to begin with," he stated matter-of-factly.

I smiled over at him and kissed him on the head before going to shower.

I came back out, wrapped in my favorite black fluffy towel and looked through my drawers for my sweat pants. Finding them, I pulled them on up under my towel and grabbed one of my tank tops and threw it on, pulling my towel off and going to hang it on the hook in my bathroom.

I came back out and Bo was looking at me. "What?"

"Nothing."

"No, what? It's never nothing with you."

He blinked his big eyes at me, his tongue flicking in and out. "You taste better."

I rolled my eyes as I flopped on my bed, grabbing my father's book. "You're so weird sometimes."

He let out a low hiss and slithered down off of his favorite spot to curl up by my head and lay his face on my shoulder, reading with me. I looked down at him and smiled. It was nice to have a friend like Bo.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up later than usual the next morning, having fallen asleep really late the night before. Bo was still curled up against me, his face resting against mine. I smiled a little and kissed him before getting up and getting ready and going to get something light to eat. I grabbed my spell book and decided to sit downstairs in the living room window seat for a change.

Our living room was a good size with a large fireplace against the wall to the left of the entrance. A large sofa and a chair, both of Victorian style, sat facing it. I walked across behind the sofa towards the large set of French double doors and the window seat that sat off the the right of them. Sun was pouring into the dark room, the golden light bathing the area in warmth and welcoming as I curled up into the seat and opened my book.

I nibbled on some toast that one of the filthy house elves had brought and sat on the other end of my seat. They'd learned the very first day I'd arrived that they should not talk to me if they wanted to live.

After a few hours the sun had moved and the light on my book was fading. My father's followers were starting to arrive for an early dinner that he was having before the meeting and the sounds of clinking glasses and rattling porcelain and smells of cooking food drifted from the kitchen and dining room.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until that time. My stomach was growling at me to feed it and I sighed, not being able to concentrate any longer with my nagging hunger.

I got up and stretched out, my legs slightly cramped and I yawned. I lay my book on my seat and followed my nose to our elegant dining room.

It wasn't a room I ventured too often, but tonight I couldn't stay away. I saw a few elves darting here and there as I entered but there was no food served yet. I sighed and went down the hall and down a small flight of steps to the kitchens below.

The setting sun was pouring into large picture windows. This room was a little more familiar to me. I loved to cook, I'd done it a lot back in America, and to me, preparing my own food was better than having the filthy little service elves doing it. I was a little surprised when I saw Bella over the stove and oven, flittering back and forth, making the food. No wonder it smelled so good.

"Bella?"

She looked up and smiled. "Layla, hello, darling." She added something to a large kettle on the stove. "Would you like to help?"

I shrugged some. "Sure." I set my book down on the table that we had in the kitchen and went to her side, helping her finish the meal.

As we were serving it up, putting it on plates for the elves to take to the dining room, I looked over at her and smiled some. "I didn't know you knew how to cook, Auntie Belles."

"Well," she said, putting a few more plates on trays and handing it to an elf. "Dont you dare drop that!" she barked at it, but not unkindly so. Her gaze came back up to mine. "I figure why have an elf cook your food when you can do it better." She grinned at me with a wink.

So that was where I'd gotten it from when I was little. I grinned back.

"Go and tell your father that dinner is being served."

I nodded. "Alright. Where is he, exactly?"

"He's in his lounge with the other men, drinking whiskey and talking business with them."

I nodded again and and headed back up into the main part of my home. I walked down the hall, away from the living and dining rooms, until I came to the lounge where Father let the his men hang out until meetings started.

I knocked on the doorframe and stepped into the room a little. "Father?"

He looked up from his high-backed chair. His legs were crossed, casually a brandy glass in his hand, only a few sips worth of caramel-coloured liquid left in the bottom. I smiled some as he reminded me of a character out of a Charles Dickens novel. "Yes, Layla?"

"Dinner's ready in the dining room."

He nodded and the men all got up and heading for the dinning room. I stood to the side and let them pass, my father being last.

I fell into step a few strides behind him and followed into the dining room.

In the lounge, there looked to be a lot more men than what there actually were. There was Greyback, and Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, McNair, about seven that I didn't know, my father, Bellatrix, and, of course, Draco, though I hadn't seen him in the lounge. I wondered for a brief second why he wasn't at home, eating dinner with his mother when it occurred to me, maybe I really didn't want to know, and I pushed it out of my mind, taking the seat between Father and Bella.

He stood up his arms open, an almost friendly gesture. "My friends, Bonne appetite," and he sat.

The men talked amongst themselves, even including Draco in some conversations. The sound of his voice drifted over to me, and my heart skipped a beat. I discreetly pinched my leg and winced.

Bella looked down at me. "Are you alright, darling? You haven't touched your food much."

I looked at my plate, really looked at it for the first time, and saw that I'd only really been pushing the food around.

I flushed a little and grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just distracted, excited for the raid, I guess."

She put her hand on my leg comfortingly. I smiled up at her and ate most of what was on my plate.

As everyone was finishing up, Father stood again. "Please, take your time and finish up, have some more to drink. We shall meet in the meeting hall in approximately half an hour. Layla, will you come with me please? Bella, you as well."

I looked up at him and nodded, quickly following him, Bella right behind me.

He took us down the meeting room and shut the door. "What's up?"

He smiled at me, and it was a fond, proud smile. "I thought my daughter might want her Mark."

My jaw dropped. "R-really? You'd Mark me?"

Bella stood slightly behind him, grinning proudly at me. "Do you want to be Marked?"

"Yes!!"

They both chuckled at me. Bella stepped forward. "I was talking with your Father about it, and we have determined that It might be better if you have your own, special Mark."

I sat up on the table and looked at them, my heart racing with adrenaline. "Yes, I'd like that, very much."

Bella smiled. "I thought you might. It's going to be on your body, rather than your arm, so you can hide it in public when you go out. This way, you can't be identified as the Dark Lord's daughter."

I nodded. It made sense to me. I'd always wanted a tattoo, too.

Bella touched my arm. "Layla, it will hurt like hell, it'll burn."

I swallowed hard, and nodded again. "Okay...."

She kissed my head. "Let me get you're corset off, here." She quickly untied the bodice and I slipped it off.

I felt a little awkward being in just my bra in front of my father, but I was sure he didn't really care.

"Lay back, sweetie," she said softly.

I lay on the edge of the table, biting my lip.

Bella stood near my head and stroked my hair. My father approached and muttered something, the tip of his wand flaring up flaming hot. I sucked in a breath fast. Bella conjured a clothe and rolled it up. "You may want to bite on this."

I took it from her with one hand as she gripped my other. I was watching her and she smiled some, then nodded at my father.

At first there was only tingling at my hip bone, but it blazed almost immediately into a searing pain and I screamed out, my body convulsing.

"Shhh...." Bella cooed at me, kissing my head again. "Shh...."

Father looked up at Bella, almost annoyed, any sympathy that he had for me as a daughter gone. "Hold her please?"

She nodded and held my wrists down, putting a spell on my legs so I couldn't move them. I was helpless.

He started at the tattoo again and it flared violent, making me cry out, tears streaking down my face.

"Bite down on the cloth, Sweetheart."

I obeyed and bit down hard, the pain so bad that I started see bright white spots exploding in front of them, and then it all went black.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When I came to, I was laying on the table still, Bella standing over me, holding a cold wet cloth over my left side.

She smiled when she saw my eyes flutter open. "Hello, pet."

I winced some as I sat up. "Hi."

Her eyes looked misty as she looked at me, putting the cloth back in the bowl on the table. "I am so proud of you, Layla."

"Why? I passed out...."

"But you did it, and now, you're one of us. I couldn't be any prouder."

I smiled some and looked down. Sure enough there was the Dark Mark, but it was vivid, elaborate, and artistic.

Vines of thorns and a few roses surrounded the skull and snake, leaves curled here and there, a few looked like curled up fairies. It was beautiful.

"Wow...He designed this?"

She nodded, and handed me my bodice, helping me get it back on.

"Did I miss the meeting?"

She laughed some. "No, you were only out ten minutes."

"Oh." I stood up and fixed myself, turning to look at her.

She smiled widely. "Beautiful."

I smiled back as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and took me to the kitchen. "Did you pass out when you go yours?"

She laughed as she sat me down and got me some water. "No, I didn't. I, however was branded. Your father actually drew yours on."

"So I did okay? He's not ashamed?" I took a few gulps of the cool liquid.

She laughed again and shook her head. "You did fine. Draco passed out when he just got branded, so don't feel too bad."

I grinned, finishing my drink and sat the cup down, getting up.

I ran upstairs to get my robes and I shrugged them on over my corset and skirt, after we headed together to the meeting. I took the seat to my father's right, and Bella sat beside me.

He started to talk and I was glancing around, my body trembling slightly. Draco looked up and caught my eye, looked me over, then looked back up at me, he grinned.

I grinned a little back and sat, paying attention as he spoke.

The meeting ended after a while and we were dismissed. I got up and I went out of the room.  
"Layla!" I heard someone call.

I turned around and saw Draco jogging towards me. I smiled some. "Hi," I said, trying to be nice.

"Hi! You're going with us?"

I grinned and nodded at him. "I just got Marked."

"Congrats!" he said. He looked like he was going to hug me, then stopped, just grinning.

"Thank you," I said with a small smile.

"Are you excited?" he asked as we walked together.

"Yes, very. Your aunt has been helping me to train."

He grins. "Bellatrix. She's a good person to learn from."

I nodded at him. "Yeah, she knew me when I was a child. I consider her an aunt as well."

He nodded some.

"Are you ready for the raid?" I asked him as we walked.

He grinned down at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Always. I love raids."

I laughed a little. "Yes, though you love wands and spells." I grinned. "I like hand-to-hand combat and fighting with knives."

He looked at me, with a look that said he didn't know what to think of me again. "Hand-to-hand is fun."

I nodded and looked up at him. "Do you want to go down to the training rooms for a bit?"

He nodded. "Sure."

I smiled and bounced away ahead of him, going towards the steps to the basement where my father had put together a training room for hand-to-hand training.

It was narrow set of stone steps that lead down into darkness, then opened up into a large stone chamber. Mats were scattered over the floor and a variety of weapons hung from hooks and shelves on the walls.

Draco shrugged his robes off and hung them on one of the bare hooks on the wall. I couldn't help but to give him a quick once over with my eyes. He was wearing a tight-fitting dark blue shirt that made his eyes seem brighter than usual. His black dress pants hugged _all_ of the right places on him and made my knees go a little weak.

I took mine off and hung it up as well. As I turned back towards him, I saw him looking at me.

My skin seemed paler than normal against my off-the-shoulder black corset and skirt I was wearing, almost iridescent and glittering in the torch light.

He swallowed hard. "Wow. You look amazing, Layla."

I grinned at him. "Focus, Malfoy. I'll kick your ass faster if you don't."

He snapped out of it and smirked at me. "Bring it on, Riddle."

I pulled down a strap of leather and used it to tie up my skirt with. I walked around him in a slow circle, like a hawk would circle its prey before swooping down on it.

"I bet you can't even apparate yet, little boy."

He chuckled, watching me intently. "Can so...."

I stopped, grinning, and spun, apparating right behind him and grabbing him around the neck, putting him in a choke hold.

His elbow came back instantly, colliding with my stomach, knocking me backwards and onto the floor. I rolled back and landed in a crouch as he spun to face me.

"Impressive, for a girl," he said, walking towards me.

"I could say the same for you, Malfoy."

He lunged at me and I rolled out of the way and up to my feet, bringing my elbow down in the middle of his back, knocking him flat.

He grabbed me around the ankle and flipped me off of my feet, landing me flat on my back. I groaned some in pain.

He chuckled and I brought my foot up to kick him in the face, only he caught it and shoved it away.

We wrestled and fought for a while, both getting winded. We finally gave up, laying with our heads together on the mat, him laying one way, me the other, panting.

I looked sideways at his face, sweaty and flushed. I laughed. "You look like you just got done shagging," I teased.

He looked over at me and smiled. "If only...."

"Not with me," I said hastily, sitting up, wrapping my arms around my legs.

He rolled to his side and put his head head up on his hand, looking up at me. "Why not, Layal?"

I let out a sharp laugh. "Are you kidding me? Draco it was a thing, that's all. It was one and done. It's over, let it go..."

"We can't just shag occasionally?" The way he asked it sounded like he wanted more than that, but he'd settle for only that if it was all he could get.

"No, we can't. That's dangerous. Besides, Father's looking to find someone he finds suitable for me now."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Good luck with that! He's only saying that so you won't ask him about it."

"If he doesn't find someone, I'll keep asking." I fell silent and he rolled to lay on his back again, looking up at the ceiling.

I sighed after a few minutes and rolled to my stomach, hovering over him, looking down into his face. "Draco...is it the sex you like? Or is it me?"

He laughed and sat up, making me move to sit as well. "The sex. I don't do emotional relationships.

That stung me for some reason. "I have to go. I have studying to do."

I jumped up to my feet and grabbed my robes, heading up to my room.

Behind me, I heard him groan.


	9. Raid

I couldn't sleep at all past nine that morning, my nerves were making me too anxious. I got up and got ready, grabbing something to eat in our kitchen, then going down to the training rooms with Bella, prepping myself for that evening.

Around three, Bella was getting tired and she sat on the steps. "Let's not play this out, lovely. I'm old."

I looked down at her as I pulled my hair out of its leather strap. "You're not that old, Auntie Bells."

She smiled up at me. "You're kind. Azkaban did a number on me, though."

I touched her shoulder. "Rest, Bella. I don't want you to be too tired for tonight."

She smiled and stood up, kissing my head before going the steps and up towards her room.

I walked up to mine, and shut the door. I'd been training hard and I was sweating. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower then went to my closet, looking for what I should wear.

I walked to the back of my closet, looking at all of the clothing that I wore when I was younger, when I practiced my sword play.

I flipped through my corsets, settling on my favorite black, strapless leather ones and a white chemise for under it. Then I flicked through my skirts, finding a long black one that was easy to move in, to fight in.

I pulled them on and flopped on my bed, pulling on my socks and boots, lacing them up quickly and jumping up, looking in my mirror and fixing myself before grabbing my robes and bolting down to the meeting room.

Father's followers filed in and stood waiting for farther instructions.

"My friends," he said, looking to each of the cloaked figures about the table, "we are about to go and purge a town of all the vile life that inhabits it."

There were mutters of approval. I looked to Draco, who was nodding and smirking. He looked nothing now- what with that malicious smirk, with his glinting, cold eyes -like the boy who who could be gentle and make love to me...

I shook my head, clearing it of such thoughts. I _had_ to stop thinking of him like that. We were friends, he meant nothing more. He _couldn't_ mean anything more to me.

"I want you all to remember," Father continued, "if you get caught, you are dead to me._ I_ will not come for you. I will not come to your rescue. Depending on how liked you are amongst yourselves, however, someone else may come to your aid, but do not expect it to be me."

I swallowed hard. That seemed a little harsh, but necessary, I assumed.

"On that note," he added, "I want to make it clear that my daughter makes it back alive. If that means you give your own life for hers, so be it. You would sacrifice your own pathetic lives for me, so you shall do to her as you would do to me."

_Ouch...now _that_ was harsh..._

Every member nodded and muttered in comprehension, though it didn't sound very happy. Draco's eyes flicked to me and he regarded me with torn decisiveness across his face, as if he were thinking over if I actually _was_ worth his life.

During times when we were on speaking terms, Draco and I would owl back and forth. Not constantly of course, but occasionally. However, since the other evening in the training room, I hadn't heard a thing from him. I mean, honestly, I didn't understand what his problem was this time. _I_ was the one who should be hurt, not that I was or anything, not him. Why was _he_ pissed off?

Bella touched my shoulder and I started, my head whipping around and my eyes snapping up to hers. "Layla?"

"Sorry, I spaced..." I muttered, my body relaxing some. This anxiousness made me jumpy. I'd never been jumpy.

She chuckled some. "Yes, I see this." She put her arm around me. "I said you're Apparating with me."

"Oh, yeah. Sure." I nodded and took her arm as we Apparated.

God, I hated that feeling...

I landed gracefully on my feet in the middle of a field. Bella had let me go and was walking towards my father. I fell into step with Draco at the back.

I looked up at him, curious. His jaw was set, his eyes focused ahead.

"Scared?" I asked softly.

He looked down at me and sighed some, his features softening. "No. Are you?"

I smiled some and shook my head. "Not at all."

He smirked some. "Look...Don't make us save your ass, yeah?"

I giggled some and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. "I'll be the one saving yours, Malfoy."

He chuckled and nudged me back. "Yeah, right..."

I paused and looked up at him, then leaned up and kissed him on the lips softly before breaking it and hurrying to catch my father and Bella.

After a while of walking, we reached the edge of the small hamlet. "I'll do my best, Father," I assured him.

He smiled and touched my shoulder. "I'm sure you will, Layla."

I looked at the town for a moment longer then followed my father's men into the village, starting our raid.

The raid continued most of the night. I was doing well, but getting tired. I was headed back towards my father, my area of town eliminated. I saw Draco a little bit ahead of me, fighting with a man who towered a good six inches over him, but Draco had the upper hand and was winning.

The man flew back into a large window front and lay limp. It was then that I saw three dark masses take off towards the forrest that surrounded half of the village.

My eyes narrowed and I gripped my wand. None of these bastards were getting away. Not on my watch.

I took off after them in the dark. It was hard to tell what I was tripping over. All I had was the light from their wands and the sounds of their bodies crashing through the brush to guide me. I hurried over limbs and roots, tripping and stumbling, trying to refrain from using my own wand to light my way.

I chanced my luck and shot a spell at them. It missed them just by a hair, but it alerted them to my presence with them in the woods now.

They shot spells back at me. I gave up trying to be stealthy and lit my wand, only to be bombarded with hexes and curses. I jumped out of the way, dodging and maneuvering around them tripping over roots and running into tree trunks as I did so.

I stumbled and fell, the light on my wand extinguishing. Not good.

I heard the men stop running, and heard them wondering aloud to themselves.

As quietly as I could, I got up, scanning for the light from their wands. I spotted it not 20 yards from me, and ducked behind a tree. Slowly, I reached down into my boots for one of my knives.

I gripped it tightly in one hand, and held my wand in the other. I whispered a tracking spell onto the knife and flung it at the men.

I heard one shriek, and the sound of a body fall, then running again. It wasn't getting closer to me, so I started to run again. I ran towards the spot where they'd been standing just a few seconds before and retrieved my knife that was still trying to burry itself into the guys back. The tiny hilt was slick and sticky, but I just shoved it back into my boot and took off after my prey again.

I'd lost them, but only for a few seconds. I heard them stumbling around several hundred feet from me, but I caught up.

They heard me getting closer and started to fling stunning spells at me. I put up shields and protection charms trying to keep myself from being hit, while trying to fire my own spells at the douche bags.

I wasn't quick enough, though. I brought a shield down too quickly, and lost it, allowing a stunning spell to hit me in the leg.

I felt it go numb then give out, and saw the ground rising to meet my face. I let out a cry as I hit the ground. My wand rolled a little ways away from me.

I heard them stop for the second time, then the growing sound of them approaching me.

I tried with all of my strength to get my leg to move, but nothing. "Shit!" I whispered, panicking. "Shit, shit, shit!"

The men reached me and looked down on me with evil grins. I had killed and tortured their families, their friends. Now, they would make me meet the same end.

I was panicking as I looked into the wild eyes of my torturers as they glared evilly, insanely down at me. They both raised up their wands and started to let out a flood of curses, and hexes, and Unforgivables on me.

I screamed out loud, my sobs only echoing in the blackness around me. They were going to kill me out here. And no one would ever find me...

They laughed at me, putting the Cruciatus Curse on me harder and longer. I screamed louder, sobbing. The blood in my veins had turned to fire, and it was ripping though my body, eating it, consuming it from the inside.

"F-Father!" I screamed out. Tears were running out of my eyes and down my filthy cheeks. "DADDY! DRACO! SOMEONE, PLEASE!"

My body was convulsing and shaking. They lifted it and gave me a second to breath. My hushed sobs as I lay on the ground, shaking.

They raised their wands to me and lay a second dose of it on me. I screamed out, but it was over in seconds. I opened my eyes and the two men were knocked backwards off of their feet. I stared. There was no way that was from me...

Draco stood over me, wand pointed at where the two now-stunned men had previously stood.

"Dray..." I breathed out.

He leaned down and helped me up, slipping his arm around my back, holding me up. I collapsed back into his hold, closing my eyes for a moment. Thank Merlin...

"Together?" he said softly into my ear.

I nodded, still trying to breath properly. Draco and I raised our wands, fixing them on the two men, my two attackers.

"Avada Kendavra!" we both yelled, and I watched as the green burst hit them square in the chest, and the light of life left their wide, terrified eyes.

My good leg gave out and I fell hard against Draco. It was over. Finally...

Draco put my arm around him and helped me walk back to the others. My leg was still numb and tingling as he practically carried me back to my father.

As he carried me up the hill, I saw my father standing with Bella and a few others. "Layla!" Bella cried running to me.

"I'm fine, Bells..." I said softly as she sat me down on a stump. "It was just a stunning spell..."

Father looked me over, and as if determining I was okay, he turned to Draco. "You saved her?"

"I-"

"I didn't need it!" I said defensively before Draco could make me look like a fool in front of my father. "I had it under control!"

Father shot me a look that told me to shut my mouth and I dropped my gaze back to Bella as she was muttering different things, trying to find the right counter-curse. His gaze turned back to Draco, waiting for an answer.

"It was nothing, My Lord, honest. She looked like she needed assistance, and I was close by..."

I slowly looked back up at him. He had been no where near me...Why was he lying about it? This was his perfect chance to get back at me...

Father nodded and looked at me, somehow knowing what Draco and I were saying wasn't true. "Draco, you can go home. Get back to your mother..."

Draco nodded and looked at me before making a Portkey and going home.

Bella prodded my leg with her wand and I inhaled sharply. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, love..." she said, kissing my head and standing up. "It's fixed though."

I wiggled my toes some. Yup, it was good again.

I stayed sitting down on my stump as Bella walked away, letting Father and I have a moment by ourselves. I could feel his gaze on me, but I wouldn't meet his eyes. I'd failed him...

"Layla," came his voice, it wasn't harsh, though. "Look at me, my child."

I forced myself to look up at him and I fell to my knees. "I'm so sorry...Father, I'm so sorry..."

He blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "Why are you apologizing to me, my daughter?"

"I needed to be saved," I said quietly.

He laughed, but not unkindly so, and held out his hand to me. "Dear girl, you are my best and most valued fighter! You killed more than even my best men!"

"Still," I said, as I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet to stand beside him. "I should have been able to hold my own...I shouldn't have needed Malfoy's help..."

He put his hand under my chin and made me look at him. "That will come with time. Even Bella needed saving a fair few times before she became the accomplished woman that she is today..."

"I still feel like I've failed you, like I'm the black spot under your name..."

"My darling girl...I am proud of you. You only made a mistake... You need to train harder."

"Yes...of course, Father," I muttered.

He kissed my forehead. "Come, let us go home and rest."

I nodded took Bella's arm, going home with them.

I went up to my room and collapsed onto my bed with a sigh.

"How'd it gooo?" Bo said, slithering up to lay beside me.

"Alright, I guess..."

"Alright? Well, you're alive still, so you must have done something right..."

I smiled and stroked his head. "Yes, you're right...Goodnight, BoBo..."

"Don't call me that," he hissed softly as I drifted off, exhausted.


	10. Halloween

The day following the raid, I woke up late and carefully sat up, putting my feet on the floor. Everything I moved hurt horribly. I tilted my head from left to right, letting the vertebrae crack. I put one knee up on my bed and winced as I bent it. It was more sore than the other from being hit with the stunner. I used it to crack both sides of my back and sighed some. God, it hurt so bad. No amount of training could've prepared me for that night. I yawned and scratched my head under my matted locks. I stood up carefully and stretched backwards, then forwards, then all over. When I could finally move freely with little pain I decided that I was okay to go and shower.

I went into my bathroom and turned on the spray, letting it get hot. I turned on the massage spray and let it hit me. It felt so good. I took a long, slow, hot shower, letting the water hit every part of me. And I do mean _every_ part.

My eyes fluttered closed and leaned against the marble wall of my shower, panting some. I hung up the shower head and rinsed off again before shutting it off and getting out, dripping all over my fuzzy purple rug. I grabbed my towel down and dried off, then dried my hair some with it. I grabbed my hair towel and put it up after wrapping my own self in the folds of purple terrycloth. I went to my mirror and used my fist to clear the steam and sighed at my reflection. I looked a little rough, what with the cuts all over my face and neck and shoulders. I pulled out my wand and did a few healing charms and watched the red vanish.

I pulled open my drawer and pulled out my makeup tray and set it on the counter of my sink. I went to the bathroom door and yanked it open, letting the cool air wash over me. I shivered some and went back doing my makeup normally.

It was about that time that I heard talking from downstairs. I didn't really pay attention as I finished up, my hair now dry and done, as I went into my room and pulled open my closet, grabbing down my worn-out corset and skirt. I just finished tying it off when Lucius's cold voice struck a nerve of recognition in my brain.

And then I heard the second voice and couldn't stop the smile from spreading over my face.

Draco.

I looked myself over in my full length mirror, ruffling up my hair and fixing my eyeliner and lipstick before bolting from my room and hurrying down the stairs.

"Draco!" I said happily, but that emotion didn't last long.

I stopped next to the last step from the bottom and stared at him with his am around some tramp that I didn't recognize. She had short black hair, and her face reminded me of an old pug-dog that my Aunt Cylvia had once owned. The dog was an annoying little bitch, and from the looks of this girl, I guessed that they had come from the same litter.

"Who are you?" I demanded of her.

"Pansy Parkinson," she said snidely as she lay her hand on Draco's chest. "I'm Draco's fiancee...Who are you?" The ring on her finger looked big enough to sink the Titanic.

"Fiancee?" I said, my gaze moving to Draco and my eyes narrowing. "He didn't tell me that he was engaged." My voice was even, and calm. But if looks could kill, he would have been dead a year ago.

His lips pulled up to a smirk. "Oops," he said off handedly.

It took all I had to not pound him into dirt at that moment. That damn smug smirk on those damn perfect lips on his damn perfect face on his damn perfect body...

I wanted to pound myself into dirt for even thinking that... "You're an ass, Malfoy," I hissed before turning on my heel and going back up the steps.

"What a bitch!" I heard the little harlot say.

Draco laughed. "That's funny."

"What is love?"

"You just called the Dark Lord's daughter a bitch..." he snickered.

I didn't hear anything after that because I slammed my door and locked it.

Why did I keep bothering with him anyways...

Father had decided that it would be a good idea to host a Halloween Ball. I really don't know why, but part of me felt that it was because he was making a feeble attempt at throwing me a party. He really didn't know me well. I hated balls. And gowns. And dressing up. Most days...

I sighed as I got out of the shower the day of the ball and pulled on my sweats. I liked them a lot better in the cold weather than my night gown. I pulled on my bra and a tank top and lay on my bed, pulling over a book.

A knock on the door pulled me from my research and I looked up. "It's open," I called, sticking my nose back where it belonged, in the pages of my father's old spell book.

I heard the door open and shut again. "Why aren't you ready?" I heard Bella ask, her voice a defeated tone. It was like she didn't know what to do with me. She wasn't the first, either.

I raised my eyes from the inked words on my pages and looked at her. "Maybe because I'm not going?" I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Your father is doing this for you, Layla." Thought as much.

"So? If he threw it, he can enjoy it. I'm. Not. Going."

"You have to," she insisted, trying to find the dress that she'd bought me in my closet.

"He can kill me, that's fine and dandy. I really don't care. I'm not going to the ball, Bella."

She gave me a look. "He is _not_ going to kill you. You just have to go a few minutes...That's all the longer he's staying. Then you can leave and carry out your night of being lazy and moping."

"I am not moping!" I snapped as I threw the book on my desk. "Fine. I'll go to the damn thing, but you keep Draco and that...that _cow_ he's engaged to away from me.

She laughed some and looked at me, her eyes glittering. "I told you. You fancy him."

I turned on her with a glare. "You can_not_ tell anyone, especially Father," I told her, not even bothering to deny the fact that she was convinced she knew. "He will slaughter me. The muggle way."

She just grinned at me. "I know. Get dressed!" \]

I grabbed the dress from her and went to the bathroom, stripping and changing into the massive amounts of black and blue fabric and lace. The dress was Victorian styled, my favorite era, and had small ruffles of hand-sewn black lace adorning it. I put on my makeup, making my face and chest look slightly paler. I looked like a vampire. I was already pasty white, despite living in California for six years. Bella helped me get my massive amounts of hair up in chopsticks (Bella knew what it was like. We curiously had the same type of hair). I pulled on my boots and sighed.

"Happy?" I snapped sarcastically at her

She just smiled. I sighed and pulled on my little black lace gloves and followed her down to the banquet room.

Father was waiting on me and he looked me over, and gave, what I assumed was, an approving nod. He entered the hall ahead of me.

We headed to our table which was at the front of the room. His followers stood and waited for us to sit down before seating themselves. Father stood up again after drinks were poured and spoke. I didn't really pay attention to him or what he was saying. I didn't really care. I instead sat looking around the hall. It was done beautifully. There were fairy lights all around the ceiling, and the soft white light was all that there was in the hall. It was like being in a dream. There weren't too many people there. There were the thirty or so followers of my father, each sat at a table with their own family and another. Then there was Greyback, who had about twelve or thirteen younger looking weres at two tables with him. After that there was one or two tables with supporters from other countries. I recognized a few from America.

Draco sat at a table with his mother on one side of him. On the other side sat the pug-nosed little bitch that decided to show up out of no where and exist all of a sudden, and her family-her father, mother, and two sisters. At the long main table where I was sitting, Bella sat to my right, my father on my left, and Lucius on the other side of him. I assumed, had Bella's husband been still living, he would have been seated on the other side of Lucius. However, I realized, that before me, Bella and Lucius would have been his main two members. Then Lucius had gone and gotten himself caught. Ass...

There was a small amount of applause and Father took his seat again. He looked at Bella over my head and she smiled. They stayed a few moments longer, finishing up their drinks, and then Father stood, raising his hand and music slowly drifted through the hall. Father stood and kissed my head.

"Happy Birthday, Layla."

I managed a small forced smile. "Thank you, Father..."

He swept out of the hall, Bella and a few others following him, leaving me alone with all of the followers.

I stayed in my seat, sipping on the champagne that had been given to me, and trying to make myself not focus on the taste. I hated champagne, but it was the only alcohol in the room.

Some of my father's followers kept looking at me, thinking I couldn't see them staring and talking. I made eye contact a few times and they would bow their heads a little in respect. I'd give them a short nod, and they would resume their conversation.

I sighed as I took the last swig of my drink and stood up, heading for the door.

"Having fun?" I heard the cool voice ask me. The back of my neck prickled and my cheeks started to burn, as well as my eyes.

"No, I'm not having fun," I spat, not facing Draco. "Hence, why I'm heading towards the door."

"Wanna dance?" he said

"No, I don't want to dance. Your fiancee will be upset."

There was a small moment of silence between us before he said, "So?"

I sighed heavily and turned to face him. "You told me that your parents wanted you to marry her, not that they were already planning it, Draco."

"Why do you care?" he said, looking confused. "We shagged a few times, that's it."

I rolled my eyes. "It's a little awkward to know that I was sleeping with a boy who was planning his wedding."

He made a face. "I'm not enjoying it, the whole wedding-fiancee thing..."

"Well, you could have fooled me," I said softly, crossing my arms.

"Sex and being married. Two completely different things. I'm with her because our parents want it, and because she's an alright shag. That's it."

"Why are you following me?"

"I wanted to dance with you..."

I bit down on my tongue and groaned a little. "Ugh...fine...One song, then I'm going to bed..."

He smirked some and took my hand, taking me to the small dance floor, and taking my hand and waist. I sighed and placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him at a distance.

It was quiet between us for a while as we just swayed to the music. I finally opened my mouth to diffuse a little bit of the tension.

"So...After you're married to her, you're still going to look for other girls?"

He chuckled some. "Most likely."

"What if it wasn't Parkinson?"

His shoulders shrugged some under my hand. "Maybe. If it was someone I actually wanted to be with, someone I picked myself to be with for the rest of my life, I guess then I wouldn't..."

"Wouldn't that mean you'd find a girl that you loved."

He slowly nodded. "Yeah..."

"That doesn't exist," I informed him harshly.

He just shrugged again. "Maybe, maybe not."

"It doesn't." I muttered. "Trust me, it doesn't."

He just looked down at me. "Then I guess I won't find it..."

I pulled back from him, heaving a sigh. "If love existed..." I started, but my voice wavered and I bit my lip.

He pulled my back to him, holding me close. "If it did, then what?"

I was searching for something to say. "If...if love existed...then..." I was stammering as I desperately searched. "Then things would be different..."

"Like?" he prompted me.

"A lot of things..."

He spun me in a small circle and dipped me backwards, leaving me no where to look but up into his bright blue eyes as I held onto his neck. My breath hitched and my heart fluttered.

"It's not real...It's not real..." I muttered as he slowly pulled me back up. "It's not real..."

He stroked my face as he stared back into my eyes. "It could be..." he whispered softly into my lips before pressing his to mine.

I was stunned. I slowly kissed him back, my eyes closing.

It only lasted a moment before I felt someone grab my hair and rip me away from him.

"YOU BITCH!" Pansy screamed. "Get your filthy lips off of him!"

I stumbled backwards and hit the floor, gasping.

Draco grabbed her and pulled her to his side and a little behind him, in some sort of attempt to put himself between her and I. "Calm down..." he told her softly.

I looked up at them, dazed. "Don't you ever touch him again, you whore!" she screamed at me, making Draco smirk some.

He led her away back to a table, smirking back at me the whole time.

Some of my father's followers were watching, a few chuckled at the scene. I got up and stormed out of the hall, the doors slamming closed behind me.

I ran to my room and slammed my door, screaming, tears running down my face. I hated him! I hated that bastard! How dare he make me look like an idiot?

I saw my Death Eater robes laying on my chair and I grabbed them, my breath heaving with anger an hurt.

How could he say all of that to me? How could he say that he'd make it real, then go and defend her like that. How could he even do something like that to me?

I held the soft robes in my hand and I looked up at myself in the mirror.

My hair was starting to get frizzy, my makeup was running. My chest was heaving up and down inside the bodice that Bella had me laced in. My whole body was trembling with anger.

I looked down at the robes in my hand again and opened them up, slipping them on and fastening them. I looked into the mirror and pulled the hood up, my eyes hidden in the shadows.

No one makes a fool out of Layla Riddle. No one.

I grabbed my wand and headed back down towards the hall.

I didn't touch a single door on my way there, they all jumped open ahead of me, my rage flaring dangerously.

The doors to the hall slammed open and the lights went dim. Everyone turned to look at me. I strode to the center of the room, where my father's banquet table was sitting, and I jumped up on it. "Draco Malfoy," I growled. "You and your bitch..."

He stood up, keeping Pansy behind him. "What do you want, Riddle?"

I flicked my wand at him, using Imperius, and made them walk to me. Draco looked ready to grab for his wand at any moment. I jerked my wand up and broke the curse.

They stood in front of me, looking up at me. "Bow, you bitch," I hissed, looking at Pansy, jumping down from the table and landing in front of them. They both backed up a few steps.

"Never..." Pansy whispered.

My eyes flashed and I slapped her across the face, making her fall back onto the floor clutching her cheek. "I said bow!"

She cowered on the floor as Draco kneeled down beside her, his eyes locked on me, as if to ask me why I was doing this.

I glared at him and turned my focus back to Pansy. "Crucio!"

She screamed out, writhing on the floor, sobbing. Draco stared at me, stunned. "Layla, stop it!"

I stopped and looked at him, my anger just mounting more and more by the moment.

"You do _not_ order me, Malfoy. Ever. Crucio!"

He gasped, screaming in pain, his body twitching on the floor beside Pansy, who was in the fetal position, whimpering and trembling.

I broke the curse on Draco, who pushed himself to his hands and knees, panting.

I went to Pansy and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her knees in front of me. Draco looked up at me. "Layla, let her go..."

I shot him a glare. "You're next, so shut up, Mafoy," I hissed before flicking my wand out and muttering, "Shearo..." My wand became like a knife in my hand and I grabbed Pansy's hair from behind, pulling her head back and exposing her neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Draco cried out, looking terrified.

I held the blade to her neck and looked at him. "You were right..." I said quietly to him. "It could have been between us...But now...it will never be..."

"Merlin you are thick!" He yelled at me.

I stopped and looked at him, shoving Parkinson down to the ground on her face. "Excuse me, _I'm_ the thick one?" I yelled. "You're the one that goes around not even telling the girls you're with that you're engaged to this mutt! You can't be honest about anything for just ONE single second of your life! I am _not_ the thick one!"

"Yes you are! I wanted something and you said no! I actually wanted to be with you and you said no to me! So yes! Yes you are the thick one!"

"You did not want to be with me!" I screamed, getting in his face. " I ASKED you! I asked you if it was the shagging that you liked, or if it was actually me! You said it was the shagging!"

It was silent in the hall as everyone's eyes were turned on us.

"I only said that because you seemed like you didn't want to be with me!"

"And I was trying not to fall in love with you so you could keep your life! If my father found out about-"

"Layla..." came the cool voice from behind me.

I froze and my face paled. I turned to face my Father and fell to my knees in a bow. "F-Father..."

Draco paled too, and bowed beside me.

"What the devil is going on in here?" he said, looking around the hall.

I paused for a moment before slowly looking up into his face. "It was me...Parkinson got in my way and I freaked...I overreacted..."

Pansy stared at me. "You bitch, you were going to slit my throat!" she screamed at me. "Not to mention the fact that you've been sleeping with Draco!"

I closed my eyes, willing her to just shut the hell up. Father's gaze slowly turned back to me, his eyes burning.

Draco stood up beside me. "My Lord, it was my fault..."

I grabbed him by the bottom of the robes and pulled him down to his knees on the floor again. "Stay. Down!" I hissed at him, before getting up and going to my father.

"I was alone...Draco wanted to be my friend, and I used him. I seduced him and put him under spells to get my way with him. I was jealous and I let it get way too far out of control."

"Layla, shut up, let me take it!" Draco hissed, getting up again and coming to stand at my shoulder.

I waved my hand some and put him under a silencing charm to keep him from getting killed. He glared at me, but I didn't really care. I looked up at my father. "I'll take my punishment..."

Father looked down at me, his eyes furious. "I told you that I would find someone for you, someone that I found appropriate for you! And you went and slept with him?"

I slowly nodded, my eyes stinging. I knew the disappointment that I was. "Father, I'm sorry...It was before you told me...and I broke it off the moment that you did, I swe-"

His hand connected with my face and I gasped, holding my cheek. "We will discuss this later." He looked around at all of his followers. "Leave," he hissed.

Draco went to Pansy as everyone left and helped her up, holding her close and walking towards the door with her.

Father turned to watch them. "Parkinson, you may leave. Malfoy, here. Now."

Draco looked down into Pansy's eyes and kissed her head before sending her on her way and coming back to stand beside me in front of my father.

He stared at us both for a moment before putting us under the Cruciatus curse.

I screamed out, falling to my knees on the floor, the pain was horrible, like my blood had been turned to fire, and was eating its way through my veins and body. My vision was white with agony and pain and tears ran down my faith.

And as quickly as it had been laid on us, Father lifted it.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Father roared.

"Wh-which one of us?" I gasped out.

"Both of you!"

I looked up at him. "Father, it was me...Please, leave Draco out of this..."

He looked at me, his eyes so disappointed. "I had picked someone for you. I was going to tell you tonight after the ball." I covered my mouth and let out a small sob as he continued. "He's a young pureblood wizard...I thought he would have been good for you."

"Father..." I said sniffling.

"What?" he snapped, looking at me.

"Father, I'm sorry!"

"Did you think that I wouldn't find out?" He yelled at me.

"I really hoped you wouldn't!" I admitted. "It was only a few times! As soon as you told me that you would pick someone for me, I stopped it!"

He studied me for a moment, turning his head to Draco. "And you?"

I looked over at him, letting the spell I'd put on him to keep him quiet go, and begging him with my eyes to agree with me, knowing that Father would kill him.

Draco looked at me, then up to the face of my father. "That's it, just a few times, then it stopped. Everything stopped," he said, his tone somewhat bitter.

I let out the breath I didn't realize that I was holding. "Father?" I said softly. "Who...who was it?"

"My choice?" He said looking at me, then to Draco. "My choice was going to be Draco..."

I stared at him as he turned and left. I felt my heart break inside my chest. I sank to my knees, crying hard.

Draco came over to my and kneeled down beside me, his hand on my back. "Are you okay?"

"Just leave..."

"No..."

"Yes!"

"I'm staying..." he insisted.

"Why?" I snapped. "So you can torture me some more?"

"I didn't want to torture you!"

I got up and shoved him some. "Yes you did! You wanted to play games with me! You wanted to watch me suffer!"

"I wanted to make you jealous!"

"Well, you did what you set out to!"

"Exactly!

I just glared at him and raised my hand to hit him across the face, but sighed and dropped it. "Just...run home to Pansy...Have a wonderful fucking life!" I screamed, running out of the hall and up to my room, locking my door behind me.


	11. Embellishment

I lay on my bed, sobbing for hours. I was so scared, so upset. I was so mad at myself for letting him down, again. He would never want anything to do with me after this.

There was a tap on my door.

"Go away!" I screamed.

"It's me, Layla," Bellatrix said softly.

I didn't say anything back, only lay there, crying my eyes out. I heard my door open, then close softly, and felt the corner of my bed sink down. I just stared out of my windows, crying and clutching my pillow. I felt Bella's hand on my back, stroking it softly and comfortingly.

"Auntie Bells..." I choked out. "I knew I'd mess up! I knew I'd disappoint him, I knew I would!" I cried, turning to her, hugging her.

"Shhh...sweetheart...he's just upset, give him some time...How do you think you let him down again?"

"I slept with Draco...I went behind his back. I didn't live up to his expectations. I feel just like the night of the raid all over again, when those two asses caught me in the woods..."

"It happens to everyone, love," she said, continuing to rub my back. "Your father needed to save me on more than one occasion when we were younger..."

"Getting caught is one thing. I went behind his back. I disobeyed him on purpose..."

She sighed gently, resting her head on top of mine. "You need to talk to him..."

I pulled back some and looked up at her like she was mental. "What, now?

She shook her head. "In a little bit. Let him cool down. "

I nodded, leaning back on her as she stroked my back and hair. "I hurt Draco too..." I muttered softly.

"Oh, I'm sure he's just fine...Wasn't he just using you anyways?" Bella asked.

"I don't know, Bells...when we were dancing...he dipped me. And he looked down, right into my eyes. And he told me that love between us could be real...And then _he_ kissed _me..._But he never stuck up for me after that...He's a coward, he's spineless...Merlin is he's just like his father..._"_

Bella started to laugh. "Darling, this is Draco that we're talking about here. He was trying to make you jealous. He's not going to stick up for you."

"Well, he should. That's what a _man_ would do. I want a man, Bells, not a pathetic little boy."

She laughed again at that. "Then make him into a man..."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Make him see that it's you that he wants. Not some other girl. Make him see how amazing you are. Make him want you. Make him beg. Make him chase after you and prove to you that he's worthy of you."

I smiled a little and just held her. "I can do that..."

"I know you can, darling..." she said, kissing my head.

We sat all night just talking some. The following evening I made my way down to my father's study and tapped lightly on the door.

"Come in," I heard him say in his cool tone.

I pushed open the door and peaked my head in. He was sitting at his desk, looking over a book.

"I-I can come back if now's not good..."

"No, it's alright, come in, child."

I stepped in and shut the door behind me. I had my head hanging down and walked to him, falling to my knees in front of him. "My Lord..." I said softly.

"Layla..." he said, touching my head. "Explain this to me..."

"Which part?"

"Draco," was all he said.

I slowly looked up into his face. "Do...you know how you feel when your with my mother? You don't know if you should call it love, because you don't know what it is, but it's definitely stronger than lust and it makes you feel like you want to be around them, all the time, non stop..."

He nodded some. "Yes, I know that feeling," he said, turning to look at the fireplace.

"I get that when I'm with Draco...I got that when I locked eyes with him across the table at the first meeting. One look from him and it was like...nothing else mattered. W-we...we had sex, my first day here, a few times, and then a few times after that...But then you made that announcement and I got scared for me and for him. And I was so ashamed of what you might think of me for being so enamored...It wasn't a weakness. It was making me stronger... but I got spooked and I started...I started being obnoxious to him. He drug Pansy into this so I'd be jealous and that's what happened at the ball. He kissed me, told me that our love could be real, and Pansy flipped out and shoved me back onto the floor, then I lost my temper and tried to kill them both because he took her side and left me looking like an idiot..." I took a deep breath. "But...I've learned something, that love isn't real. It's something people make up as an excuse." My throat was tight. It was what I had to believe now. "I...I don't want him," I said softly. "I-I don't want any serious men."

He sighed some. "Layla, child, I love your mother. She is the only woman to make me feel that way.

My eyes were stinging and I rubbed furiously at them. "Damnit..." I muttered, sniffling. "I don't want him. I'm swearing off men. I want to focus on serving you, pleasing you...making you proud of me again.

"I _am_ proud of you..."

"I don't see how," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "I was a disgrace to your name."

"No, you weren't. Your behavior was uncalled for, but you didn't disgrace me.?

I nodded a little. "I...I don't have to be a Riddle..."

He turned around to face me again. "You don't want to be a Riddle?"

"I don't want to be the black mark on your honorable name, sir."

He stared at me. "You are not a black mark. You are the embellishment under our name, making us better."

I looked up into his face. "R-really?"

He smiled some at me, the first time I'd ever seen it. "Yes..." He held open his arms to me.

I stood up and went to him, hugging him. "Father..."

"My daughter," he said, gently hugging me back. "Do you need anything?" I asked after a few moments.

"No. Why don't you go out for a little while?"

"G-go out?" I said, shocked. "Like...go into town? I...I can go?"

He nodded. "I'm sending Bellatrix to watch over you..."

I hugged him again and ran from his study and back up to my room, getting dressed and grabbing my cloak.

Bella came in and smiled. "Ready?"

I pulled my belt around my waist and hung my money pouch off of it. "Now I am!" I said, excited. I hadn't really been outside since I'd arrived at the manor.

Bella took my hand and we Apparated to Diagon Alley. Bella had a disguise on, so no one would really recognize her. We shopped around for a little while.

"He told me that I was an embellishment..." I told her softly, running my hand over a robe in one of the shops.

She smiled. "Really? He said that?"

I nodded. "Yeah...He did."

"Wow, he really loves you, Layla..."

I smiled a little. "He's my dad. He has to love me somewhere.

She laughed some.

We shopped for a while and went to get ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. I sat with her at a table outside and licked my ice cream cone.

"So...what does Draco like to do? You're his aunt..."

She smiled. "Quidditch, working out. I believe he has an interest in potions..."

"Wow..."

"What, love?"

"Potions. That's a hard subject."

She nodded some, smiling. "He was Quidditch captain too, I believe.

I smiled dreamily. "Wow," I breathed again.

"What now?" Bella said with a giggle.

"Nothing..." I smiled some. "He's just..." I heaved a sigh. "He'll never talk to me again."

"Yes he will. Give him some time. "

"I have to learn to be a girl," I said after a few more down moments.

Bella laughed at that. "You take after your father..."

I grinned. "I know I do. Which is weird, considering I was never around him growing up." I smiled more. "But I do love being here with him. He lets me be me."

Bella touched my hand and smiled. "I'm glad you're here too. I've missed you..."

"I'm glad to be back here with you too, Auntie Bells."

She hugged me and kissed my head.

We got up and started to walk again. "Do you love your husband?"

"Now I do. When I was first married, it was out of convenience more than anything..."

"But you really love him? You never really talk about him."

"I was in Azkaban for years of my life. I'm not really one to talk about that sort of thing . But I do love him."

"And...you love me, right?"

She blinked at me. "Of course I love you, sweetheart..."

I smiled over at her. "How is it that you came from the Black family line? You're not like any of them that I know of."

She laughed some. "How so?"

"Well...Andromeda married that mudblood, ugh. And Sirius well...he was an all around disappointment. Narcissa married Lucius, and if you ask me, that whole family is a bunch of pussies."

She grinned. "I joined your father before Lucius, he married before he came to us. He is a bit of a pussy. Andromeda isn't a part of our family anymore. She didn't want to be involved with the Dark Lord, so she broke off. And good riddance I'd say. We always warned her to stay away from those mudbloods, but she had to go and fall in love and get pregnant with that Tonks bloke, and well, Narcissa and I haven't seen her since she took her vows to him. It's not a great loss if you ask me."

"Obviously...I spent a lot of time in the family archives and histories. In a way, we're all related to one another."

She nodded some. "Yes, we are. We have to be to keep the bloodlines pure."

We were out on the streets of London now, walking around and looking at all of the buildings. "Auntie Bells?"

"Yes love?"

"What's going to happen to all of this?" I asked, motioning around some. "I love England, and though I do admit that I agree very much so with taking back what is ours as a race, I don't want all of London destroyed..."

She nodded some. "We'll talk to your father about minimal damage to the buildings and the streets."

I looked up at her. I loved the way she looked when she talked about serving my father. She was completely in support of him and his beliefs. "You really are devoted to him, aren't you?"

She smiled more, looking almost dreamy as she spoke of him. "He is our future. I will serve him until I die."

I smiled as we rounded a corner into a long alley way. "Ready to go home?" she asked me as we walked.

I nodded, holding onto my bags of purchases tightly. "Yes."

She nodded and took my hand, Apparating us home.


	12. Hard to Get

We arrived back at the manor and I took my bags up to my room, Bella going to talk to father. I picked up Bo and my favorite black lace parasol and headed outside to walk around the yard. I walked down around the old pool, grass cracking up through the cement, breaking it into uneven chunks scattered around the yard.

"What's troubling you?" Boa hissed, his head laying on my shoulder.

"Nothing is troubling me," I told him, not looking down at him.

I felt him wind a little tighter on my arm. "Yes there is."

"Oh, how can you tell?" I asked him, finally gracing him with a glance.

"I know you. I know how you move when you're content, and how you move when something has your wand in a knot."

I smiled some, thinking of what all I should tell him, and what I shouldn't. "Does being in love make you weak?" I finally said as I looked down into his face.

He blinked at me. "I'm a snake," he said bluntly.

"You're a snake that wondered what was wrong," I informed him.

"Touche. I would assume it does. But does that really matter, so long as you're happy?"

"Does happiness really exist? Like, true happiness, or is it merely relative to the situation?"

"True happiness lasts forever..." he said softly in my ear.

"Is there such a thing as that though?" I asked him, desperate.

"Yes..." came his soft hiss after a moment.

I sighed as I sat down on the grass with him. "I have been taught my whole life to be strong, to never let your guard down, never show your weaknesses."

"But this is love, Layla. Love is something much different. It falls in an outer realm."

"They say, that in love, you have to vulnerable, you have to trust someone with your whole self, completely."

"Yes. So be vulnerable in love, and strong in everything else."

I looked down at him as I let him curl up on my stomach. "When did you get so smart?"

"I listen a lot," he said, giving me a look much like a grin.

I laughed a little and kissed the top of his little snake head. "Why can't you be like the prince from those muggle stories, a prince disguised as a frog?"

He chuckled some. "I would be too much for you to handle."

"Oh, please..." I laughed again. "Crazy snake..."

He hissed some and crawled off of me, slithering off to warm himself on a patch of concrete. I watched him for a moment before leaning back on my palms in the grass, looking up at the November sky above me. It wasn't sunny at all, it was cloudy, it looked like rain. All it ever did in England was rain.

I closed my eyes as the electrified air of an impending storm blew my dark hair back over my shoulders. I lay back in the grass, my eyes closed, and evidently drifted off to sleep

A few hours later I was awoken by the feeling of cool drops of water on my face and Bo hissing in my ear.

I groaned some, wrinkling my face before sitting up and looking down at him. "It's late," he told me as I picked him up.

"Thank you, I got that."

I picked up my parasol and closed it so the lace didn't get ruined even more than what it already was from my using it constant, and headed inside, just as the rain cut loose.

I headed back up towards my room when I saw Bella coming out of Father's study, messing with her hair.

"Bells," I said, hurrying to catch up with her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of me, but regained composure quickly as she smiled. "Hello, darling."

I smiled back. "Hi. What did father have to say?"

"About...?" She said, a little confused.

I gave her a look. "About preserving some of London?"

"Oh! He just said that he would bring it up, and see what others had to say about it."

I nodded some and yawned. "I was outside with Bo and I fell asleep." I stretched a bit, still wound up my arm like a massive arm bracelet.

She smiled at him, scratching his chin some. "Hello, Bo..."

He hissed in my ear, and I giggled. "He says hello back."

She smiled at me and kissed my head. "Good night you two, I'm off to bed. Get some sleep!"

"Night, Auntie Bells..." I said as she walked away down the hall.

I headed up to the next floor, up to my room and opened my door, sighing with delight at the sight of my bed. I loved my bed.

I went in and shut the door behind me, putting Bo on the post of the four-poster. I quickly bathed and got ready for bed, pulling on a long night gown and crawling up and under the covers, nestling down under my comforter and duvet and sheets.

That night, I fell asleep, thinking about the ball, and about Draco and what he had said to me, then about what Auntie Bells had told me about him.

In the end I concluded that he was a prat. But a very attractive prat, and that I would just have to make him beg if he wanted me so bad.

In the morning I got up and got ready in my normal wear, one of my black victorian-styled dresses that I loved so much, minus a bum roll. They were just obnoxious.

I was just finishing up my hair when there was a knock on my door. I furrowed my eyebrows but fixed my lipstick and went over, pulling it open.

"Hey, Layla."

"Draco..." I said. I had to admit that I was a little surprised to see him at my door, but I was also a little relieved. Then I also remembered that I was going to make him work for this.

"Could we talk?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck some.

I shrugged and pulled my door open the whole way for him. "Sure."

He smiled as he stepped across my threshold and shut the door behind him as I went back over to my mirror, finishing myself for the day.

"Layla, I'm really sorry for the other night, about what happened at the ball."

That caught me off guard. Why was he sorry? Oh that's right, he's a git. But I couldn't let him see how bothered I was by it. "Why are you sorry? You were just being yourself."

"I know, I was. And that's why I'm sorry. I really do fancy you, Layla..." He looked up at me as I turned from my mirror to face him. "A lot."

_Don't melt. Don't melt!_ "Well, thank you for that, but you've lost the chance, if you ever had one to begin with."

He looked at me, a little stunned, obviously quite used to getting his way. "But...I'm _really really _sorry! I want to make it up to you."

I fought back the smirk. Oh this would be fun. "How? Dinner? Galavanting around town?" I quipped sarcastically.

"I don't know!" he said, exasperated, and frustrated. "Whatever you tell me to do!"

"Draco, I could tell you to jump off of the London bridge, and it still wouldn't do anything. I've sworn off men. I'm giving up on them, on being in love. I want to focus on my father, and how to be the best possible servant to him."

"What? Oh, come _ON!" _he nearly shouted. "I really like you! I want to be with you, not just for the hot shagging!"

"I'm sorry, Draco," I told him, my internal smirk growing more at seeing him squirm and fight internally. Oh, that prophecy I'd made for him at the beginning of my stay here was turning out to be more accurate than I'd hoped.

He sighed, looking at me with pleading grey-blue eyes.

"You're not going to change my mind. I'm set on what I want to do.

"Fine!" he snapped, getting up. "Sorry I even bothered!" He was across my room in a matter of a few strides. "See you at the meeting Saturday," he said, cooly, yet defeated, as he walked out of my door, shutting it behind him.

I closed my eyes as I heard the door shut and took a deep breath, smiling some.

_Layla: 1 Draco: 0_

Saturday, after the meeting had concluded, I excused myself from the meal to take a walk outside in the cool breeze. I had caught Draco looking at me numerous times during the meeting, and I didn't want to deal with that all through dinner as well.

I closed the big French doors behind me as I walked out around the pool again, stepping over puddles from the rain storm that had just passed.

A few seconds later I heard the doors open and close, and the soft pads of footfalls on the wet cement behind me.

"Layla?" Draco said softly from maybe ten feet behind me. I spun towards him, his face hidden by shadows in the dim light outside. "I'm not giving up," he informed me.

"You're wasting your breath, and your energry," I told him, my voice almost sing-song.

"I don't care," he said, his voice forceful, like he really meant it.

"I don't want to get married," I tried, hoping to negate him even further.

"So what? I'm not proposing marriage or anything anyway. Can't we just date and see where it goes from there? You might change your mind," he said, arrogance dripping from his voice, and I could see his famous smirk playing on his lips, even in the dark

I rolled my eyes some. "No, we can't 'just date.' I don't want distractions."

"Merlin, you are difficult!" he yelled, throwing his hands up.

"Me? _Me? _How the hell am_ I_ the difficult one?"

"I'm telling you how I feel, and that I may even love you, and all you're saying is this shit about distractions and marriage!"

I blinked. Love?

I quickly regained my composure and looked at him. "Draco, you had your chance, that night at the ball. You could have told me then that you loved me, and maybe we'd be someplace different. But instead you decided to be a pompous bastard and you led me on and pulled that bull shit with Pansy. I don't trust you, nor do I believe anything that you say to me."

"I was trying to make you jealous! I wanted something real with you weeks before the ball, but you kept saying no! That it was just shagging!"

"You told me all that you wanted was the shagging!" I yelled at him. Now he was pushing my buttons.

"Well, my gut instinct was to try to piss you off!"

"What, and expect me to get in your face, start making out and having hot enemy sex?" I cried, incredulous. "Seriously, who the hell does that?"

He sighed. "Layla, I love you. Give us a chance."

"You love me?"

"Yes!"

"Then you have to prove it to me! I am not one of your little cuddling Hogwarts girls that just fall for you because you flash a smile at them. You have to prove to me that you really do love me, because right now, I don't trust a single thing you say or do."

"Tell me how to prove it to you!"

"I don't know how! You have to figure that one out on your own..."

He groaned some and came closer to me, taking my hand and looking into my eyes as he kissed it.

I wanted to swoon as those beautiful eyes gazed into mine.

I pulled it away from him. "I...I..."

"Yes?" he said softly, closer to me than I had let him in a long time.

"I just...I can't!" I said, turning away from him and running down the path.

"Layla!" he yelled, chasing me down.

I got to the courtyard and sank onto the side of the fountain, my head in my hands. How was I supposed to make him beg if I went weak every time he looked at me?

I heard him jog up beside me and sink down next to me on the fountain edge. "Layla..." he said softly.

The sound of my name on those lips...it did something to me, something that it should not have. It made me want him. It made me want to forgive him and live happily ever after with him.

_No._ If he wanted me, he would have to prove it. To me, to Father, to the world.

I looked up at him and he pushed a piece of my hair back, but I pulled away. He looked at me for a moment, then dropped his hand.

"Draco, stop this."

"Why?" he said, looking desperate to read my mind, to know what I was really thinking, to know why I was really doing this to him.

"I don't like you!" I said, though it wasn't true.

He looked stunned, like those words for foreign to him, and I knew that he must be so used to having any girl that he pleased. Except for me.

"N-not at all?"

I shook my head. "You lost that...stop trying to sway me."

His face hardened in an instant. "Fine. But if you change your mind, don't come searching for me!" He got up and stormed back towards the house.

I flinched some when I heard the door slam, and I released a sigh.

Playing hard to get with him was proving to be more of a challenge than it should have been.


	13. Snow

Weeks passed in the manor, and Draco wouldn't even look at me. I didn't know what had him so mad this time. Was he honestly that spoiled that his temper-tantrum could last almost a month?

It was the end of the first week in December, and I assumed that Draco was off of school for winter break, since he was around more than usual. He and his mother were no exception to those of the Death Eaters that came to stay with us. His father was still locked away to rot behind bars, the traitor.

I was walking through the manor, my arms full of decorations to hang, humming American Christmas carols. Silver and red tinsel garlands trailed behind me as I drug them through the halls, taking them up at intervals. I was honestly surprised that Father had agreed to letting me decorate the house like he did, though I suspect he didn't know what he had gotten himself into upon our agreement.

I had stolen one of the low stools from the kitchens and was standing on it in one of the halls, hanging some mistletoe, when Draco walked by me. He looked up, and upon seeing me looking back, he snapped his gaze back ahead of him, and walked past, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

I sighed, saddened by the fact that in reality, this was all probably my fault by playing too hard to get.

I didn't have the stool close enough to the center, and I went to take a small step to the side to hang the mistletoe, but I caught the edge of the stool, and my ankle rolled, and I tumbled to the ground with a shriek.

Draco was at my side within a moment, his eyes full of worry. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

I winced, holding my ankle with one hand, and holding my wrist to my chest while shaking my head. "No..I think I twisted something..."

In the time it took me to blink again, Draco had scooped my up gently into his arms and was carrying me towards Bella's room. "Bella!" he said, when he was nearing her door.

She pulled it open and gasped when she saw me, and glared at him. "What did you do, boy?"

"Me?" he cried incredulously. "I didn't do anything! She was hanging decorations and she fell!"

Bella gave him a sharp look. "Bring her in here..." As he walked by her she rapped him on the head. "And you call me 'Aunt Bellatrix,' young man."

"Yes, ma'am..." he mumbled, laying me out on her bed. She rapped him again.

"Ow! Sorry.."

"Disrespectful little twit," she muttered, coming to look me over. "Go and fetch my bag from downstairs," she told him.

He growled a little, but turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

I looked up at her and smiled some. She really did love Draco, but seeing as how Bella never had any kids of her own, I wasn't sure that she knew the meaning of the word "maternal."

Draco came back and tossed her bag onto the end of the bed, flopping down into one of the chairs.

She shot him a look before opening the bag and grabbing a few things out. "Let me see your ankle first," she said as she pushed up my skirts, and gently removed the boot. She tutted a little as she rolled my sock down and pulled it off. "It's already swelling..."

She pointed her wand at it, gave a little wave and I felt something pop, making me gasp in pain. She took a wrap bandage out of her bag and wrapped my ankle in it before turning her attention to my wrist. "You can take the ankle wrap off at the end of today, but let me see your wrist."

She took it in her hands and tried to move it. I yelped in pain before biting down on my lip. "Ouch! Knock it off! It doesn't move like that!"

Bella held it gently and pointed her wand at my injury, and she muttered something short, before taking a small brace out of her bag as well and wrapping up my wrist, making it immobile. "That one is broken. I set it, but It needs to heal for a day or so." She passed me two vials of potion, one a mossy green colour, the other a vibrant purple. "The green one is to speed healing, drink it all down now. The other is for pain. Only drink a little at a time, or your whole body will go numb, and that is something I don't want to deal with right now."

I nodded some, drinking the green liquid, which, might I add, tasted as mossy as it looked.

"Can I go?" I asked her softly.

She nodded at me. "Yes, you may." Bella kissed my head and looked me in the eyes. "Just be careful, I don't want anything to happen to you."

I got up and hugged her gently. "Thank you, Auntie Bells."

I limped out of her room and back towards where I had been hanging my stuff, getting back up onto the stool, but using my wand to hang the décor.

Draco walked by me a few moments later, muttering, "You're an idiot."

I bit my lip to not snap back at him, and held my peace.

By the time I had finished, dinner was being served and I limped off towards the dining room. I walked in, people already having started, and walked to the seat beside my father's, sitting down and picking up my fork with my injured hand.

"What...did you do?" he asked. I could tell by his voice that he wanted to sound concerned for me, for my safety.

"I fell off of a stool when I was hanging decorations earlier. Sorry..."

He looked down at me, somewhat amused. "You're apologizing for being clumsy?"

I nodded, looking at my plate, my cheeks pink.

He chuckled at me and motioned to me. "Eat your dinner, clumsy daughter of mine."

I did so, starving.

Dinner was long and boring. Father was engrossed in conversations with the majority of his followers, Bella was wrapped up in a conversation with her sister Narcissa, and Draco was chattering excitedly to his friend Blaise Zabini about Quidditch.

Blaise's father was a Death Eater, so he too was staying at the manor this winter, much to the delight of Draco.

I was grateful when we were dismissed. Draco and Zabini ran outside to burn off their meal. I slowly stood, pushing in my chair and excusing myself from my father, and headed outside as well. I didn't want to be around the two boys, but I wanted some fresh air, and to be out in the snow. I loved the snow.

I got outside, and saw the two throwing snowballs back and forth at each other, laughing and being rowdy boys.

I found one of the stone benches, a good distance from them, and brushed it off, sitting down to watch them.

All through dinner, I had been thinking about Draco, and how he actually came back to see if I was okay, and then took me to Bella. He could have kept walking. In fact, that was what I expected of him. But he surprised me. He came back. And he _carried_ me to Bella. I had finally resolved to just be nice to him. To be nice and to hope that I didn't screw things up too bad. I did want to be with him. I had no idea why, it's not like the guy was Prince Charming or anything, but I found myself always drawn to him.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a snowball hitting me in the side of the head. My eyes snapped over to Draco and Zabini, both were smirking. I offered Draco a small smile, and when he saw it, his harsh smirk dissolved into a smile.

"Hey...What was that for?" I said, brushing the wet snow out of my hair.

"To get your attention," Draco called back, pulling himself up and over the side of the snow fortress he'd built for protection.

"It's got."

He grinned and came over to me. "Good."

"Hi," I said softly looking up into his eyes, giving him a soft smile.

"Hi," he said, grinning back.

"Draco," I said after a moment, but he cut me off.

"Please, _please_, let me make this work between us.

I giggled some. "Okay."

He looked like I had just smacked him with something. "R-really?" he said in awe.

I nodded some, more of the snow falling out of my hair.

He grinned at me, happily, as he sat down beside me.

We sat there, awkwardly grinning at each other for a few moments, neither knowing how to react to the other.

"You should go back to your game," I suggested. "Blaise looks lonely."

"No, I'm good right here," he said, taking my hand and kissing it.

I giggled a little as another snowball came in our direction and hit Draco's shoulder. We both looked over at Zabini, who looked to be pouting.

"I can see that my fun is over!" he yelled.

Draco made a face at him. "Isn't your girlfriend here somewhere too?"

"Yeah, but I miss my bloke time! Pansy's too whiney!" he whined.

I made a face. Draco left Pansy, and Blaise started dating her? Why would anyone want her? She looked like a dog who ran into a wall.

Draco rolled his eyes, but kissed me on the cheek. "Give me two hours, then I'll come to your room?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sure, have fun," I said as he gave my hand a squeeze, and ran towards his friend, knocking him backwards into a snowbank and beating him up.

I laughed some and headed back inside to get warm, and I couldn't keep from smiling. I could get used to the feeling of being happy all of time.

I limped up to my room and took some of the purple potion before getting a shower. When I got done, I wrapped my wrist again, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old tank top.

I brushed out my hair, talking to Bo about what had happened.

"So...You finally gave in," he teased me, hissing at me from his usual post.

"Yeah yeah...hush up. He saved my life today."

"You fell off of a stool, not the Eiffel Tower."

"I could have hit my head and lay there bleeding to death!" I defended.

"Yes, but you didn't."

"Yes, but I could have."

He laughed some. "What will you tell your father?"

"I...oh shit," I muttered.

There was knock on my door, and I assumed that the two hours had passed and Draco was coming up to meet me.

I went over to my door and pulled it open, seeing him. My heart fluttered at the sight of him. "Hi," I said dreamily.

"Hi," he said with a grin, kissing me quickly before coming in and shutting the door. "You look nice," he said as he looked at me.

I giggled some. "I just got out of the shower... How was the snow?"

"Fun. I kicked Blaise's arse!"

I giggled and gave him a small peck. "Good job!"

He grinned at me and pulled me down onto his lap as he sat on my chair. "Your laugh is cute."

"Thanks..."

He nodded. "You're welcome." He kissed my cheek.

"So you really want to make this work, don't you?" I asked, my arms around his neck as I looked into his face.

"Yes. Very much so."

"Why?" I asked, curious of the answer.

"Draco," I said, trying to be fair, "don't you think-"

"Think what? That I'm moving too fast, that I'm not thinking straight? I'm the player. I'm the bloke, just looking for a quick hook up, a one night girl. But when I see you, I don't think like that. I feel this strong pull to be near you, to be with you, to know you..."

I smiled at him, knowing that those words had to be true. He said them so strongly, so forcefully, and his eyes were glittering with adoration towards me. He couldn't be lying.

"I want to do this to. I want to be with you. I always have."

He took one of my hands in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it, making me smile. "I just want to ask you something."

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"We've already done the sex thing. Over and over and over...Can we just do the relationship thing now?" I said quietly, knowing that it was a lot to ask of from him.

He smiled a little, and nodded. "Yeah, we can."

I grinned at him and kissed his cheek, jumping up. "Then, I shall leave the telling of my father to you!"

He made a noise. "Gee, thanks..." But when I looked at him, he was smiling.

"You want to be with me, you have to be a man."

He nodded some. "I know."

I nodded once back at him. "Good. Now, you let me get dressed, and go talk to Father."

He kissed my head quick before disappearing out of my door.

"You just sent him on a suicide mission," Boa hissed.

I laughed. "I did not. Father won't kill him. He knows how I feel."

"And how is that?" he asked, following me with his eyes as I walked around my room, looking for my pajamas.

"I think I may...you know."

"No, I don't." I could hear a smirk in his voice.

I groaned. "Don't make me say it."

"Say what?"

"That I love him," I said with a small grin.

Bo hissed happily. "Well, I'm glad you finally admit it. It's taken you long enough. Six months..."

I scratched his chin and gave him a kiss as Draco knocked once and came back in. "Done and done."

"Really?" I said, a little surprised.

He nodded. "Yeah. We talked."

"You...talked?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes. But there are 'conditions.'"

"Okaayy... Like?"

"First, I can't cheat on you, or he'll kill me. Not that I would ever dream of it anyway," he added quickly as I gave him a look. "I would never cheat on you," he assured before continuing. "Second, we can't have sex or get you pregnant before we're older and married if it comes to that. Sounds like a nice heart to heart, right?" he said with a chuckle.

"Well, when it comes to the Dark Lord, that is a heart to heart," I said with a smile. I went over to him and put my hand on his chest, looking up into his eyes. "I can't believe you actually had the balls to go in...and to actually talk to my father, like a man, face to face. I...I don't think anyone has ever done something so sweet for me before."

He smiled down at me, taking my hand. "I had to."

"Why?"

"Because it was the only way that I could be with you."

"Aaand?"

"I care about you."

"Aaaaaand?" I promted, wanting to hear him say it again.

"Um...it was the proper thing to do? Help me out a little..."

I laughed some, and shook my head, kissing his chest. I pulled away to go to my other set of drawers to find my elusive night gown.

He scooped me up into his arms. "And because I love you," he said, kissing me.

"Good answer," I muttered into his lips, kissing him back.

He held me for a bit, kissing me gently. "You should probably go to bed. He'll be pissed if he finds me here too late."

I pouted as he sat me on the bed to look up at him. "Aww..."

He chuckled and flopped beside me on my bed. "I was just saying."

I smiled, grabbing my hairbrush and a hair tie from my bedside table, brushing out my hair and humming a little as I sat on the edge of the bed. Draco was laying behind me on his side, propped up on one elbow, stroking my back.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered gently to me.

I just smiled, as I looked out of the window at the starry night sky.

"Do you want to go for a walk tomorrow, through the woods?" he asked me after a few moments of silence."

"Yeah, sounds fun. In the woods, through the snow. So long as you don't get a one horse open sleigh. I'm not really one for the cute romantic sort of things."  
He laughed. "Hell no."

I laughed. "So.. You know my mark isn't the same as yours?"

He sat up some as I pulled my hair up into a high, sloppy bun. "It's not?"

I shook my head and showed him my arms. He smirked mischievously. "This could be fun. Let's play find Layla's Dark Mark..." He kissed the back of my neck, making me shiver.

I pulled away from him. "Stoppit!"

He grinned. "Where is it?"

I pulled up my tank and showed him the elaborate mark that took up most of my side. His jaw dropped.

"He did that?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It didn't take too long, but it burned like crazy."

"I bet..." He put his hand on it and pulled me to him, kissing me hungrily.

I grinned into his lips and kissed back, making out with him for a while.

Around midnight, Draco looked over at me, stroking my hair. "I should go."

"Aww..." I said, sleepily.

I heard him laugh softly from above me as he pulled my covers up over me. "I'll see you in the morning." He kissed me gently. "Goodnight."

"Night," I said with a yawn as he walked towards my door. He turned off the light in my room and shut the door behind him gently.

I smiled and close my eyes, burying my face in the pillow beside me, that smelled exactly like him.


	14. Family Tree

When I woke up in the morning, I never imagined that anything could bring me down. I was on top of the world. That is, until I was walking to Draco's room and found him standing half naked in the doorway of Pansy's room, snogging the hell out of her.

She was giggling and touching him all over. When they broke their lips apart, she lay her head on his chest and hugged him, looking over at me and grinning evilly. "Oops. Sorry Priestly," she spat. "I guess you just weren't woman enough to keep him satisfied. He's always going to have needs, and it looks like you can't fulfill them. So he came right back to me."

Everything inside of me died, and I felt hatred, and anger, boiling to the surface as I stood there, gobsmacked, watching that cow run her hands all over my boyfriend.

She smirked at me more, moving her finger and I saw the glittering diamond back on her finger.

"We're getting married as soon as possible, Layla. We don't want anything to interrupt us again, now do we, Dray?" she cooed. He grinned and shook his head.

I was horrified, trying to fight back tears, choking on the breath that wouldn't come out of my lungs.

"D-Draco? Draco, baby..." I said, almost pleading, to him.

He looked at me, confusion all over his face. "What are you talking about?" He got a stupid, dopy grin on his face as he gazed down at the ugly bitch in his arms. "Pansy is my only baby..."

I stared at him, then turned to glare at Pansy. "You bitch..." I growled.

Draco frowned at me. "Hey, shut up!"

"Draco, don't you ever speak to me again! We are over! I want you out of my life!" I screamed at him.

He just shrugged like to never see me again meant nothing to him. "Alright."

I screamed and turned away, running from where there were, gasping and choking on my tears. It felt like someone had just reached into my heart and ripped out my heart and lungs. I thought I was going to suffocate because I couldn't breathe.

I ran to Bella's room, pounding on the door until she opened it, and I fell in, falling into her arms, crying.

She held me. "What happened, love? What did he do?" she asked, as if she knew.

"He's back with her! He's with that cow!" I screamed, hysterical. "I called him baby and he looked at me like I was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple, people eater!" I cried. "Like he had never seen me before in his life! And then he said that that Parkinson wench was his only baby!"

She held me tight, stroking my back. "Shh..."

"I want to go home! I want to go back to my mom!" I cried as I sobbed and shook in her arms.

Bella gripped me tighter, as if she intended to never let me go again. "We'll get him back, Laylie.." she cooed, trying to use my pet name to calm me down.

"I WANT TO KILL HIM! Not get him back! I never want to see him again! I never want him in my _life_ again!"

Bella sighed, exasperated. "I'll talk to you father," she told me, making me sit on her bed and handing me a tissue.

"When he dies," I said, my body going numb, "I want to be there. I want to do it. And I won't use magic." My body was shaking and trembling all over, my violent streak flaring.

"Stay here," she pleaded. "I need to talk to your father." She kissed my forehead and ran from the room to find him.

I sat on the bed, thinking of the most painful way to kill him and make him suffer for what he did to me.

I could just cut his heart out, but that was too much of a cliché. There was decapitation, but that was too fast. Disembowelment could work, but I worried that he might survive something like that. I had finally settled on the good old fashioned sticking him on pike when Bella came back into her room.

"Your father wants to see you," she told me when she came in and found me pacing and biting my nails.

I blew past her, storming down the steps to Father's study. "I hope he's talking to me about how that asshole is going to be torn limb from limb," I hissed to Bella, who was following closely in my wake.

I threw open the doors to Father's study and bowed before him, still seething mad.

Bella came in behind me. "Do you want me to stay here, M'Lord, or should I wait outside?"

"I think it is best that you stay, Bella."

I heard her move to a bow and come around me, sitting beside his desk. I looked at them both. They were acting...odd to say the least.

"Layla, my child, you should sit. I want to talk to you about your mother."

I looked at him funny. How did my mother play in to all of this mess? I was here because I wanted Draco's head on a sliver fucking platter, and he wants to talk about my mom? But I guess he is the Dark Lord, and I couldn't argue with him, so I nodded and sat on the chair in front of his desk. "Well, what is it then?"

"Layla, the woman that raised you is dead."

I stared at him. "Wh...what?"

"She's dead."

"How? What happened?" I never liked the woman a lot, but she was my mother for Merlin's sake...

Father sighed. "I killed her. She was of no use to me anymore now that you are here with me."

My eyes got huge. "What? You said that you loved her!" I was on my feet, even more anger coursing through me.

He looked at me and shook his head. "No, child. I said that I loved your mother. That woman was not your mother. She was nothing more than a brain-washed pawn that I used to take care of you and to keep you safe. To bring _you_ up the proper way."

For the second time that day, I was gobsmacked. "I...I don't understand."

"Your real mother, the woman who gave birth to you, and loved you, and my wife, is still alive."

I started to breath a little faster. "M-My real mother? No! I don't believe you! Even Lucius called her the Dark Lady! He called her Mrs. Riddle!"

Bella looked at me. "No, sweetheart. It was to keep her from regaining her memory, and to keep you safe..." She sat up on the desk beside my father and I stared at them, knowing what had to be coming. "Jesus Christ..." I muttered as I saw it.

Father looked up at Bella and placed his hand on top of hers. "Bellatrix is your mother."

I almost passed out from shock, and sank back into the chair as I stared at them. Why hadn't I seen it before. I had Bella's hair, I had her love and devotion for my father, I had her insane, obsessive drive...

"Bella?" I said softly as I looked up at the woman who I'd always called "Aunt." "Is...is that why you came to see me so much? Because I was yours?"

She nodded at me, getting up and coming over to me, her eyes a little wet.

"I...I'm yours?"

She nodded again and I ran to her, hugging her tight, not ever wanting to let her go again. "I knew it..." I whispered, holding her. "I knew I could never have been that woman's daughter!"

Bella just held me, stroking my hair. "Oh, my sweet little angel. How I missed so much of your life..."

"It's alright..." I told her over and over. "You were there for enough of it."

"We wanted to protect you... so no one who was against your father could hurt you. And so you would be raised properly..." Bella faltered some and I looked up at her.

I could tell there was something else. "What? What else are you hiding from me?"

"You...Layla, you have a sister?"

I stared between her and my father. "_What?_"

Bella nodded. "An older sister. Her name is Verity. She goes to Hogwarts, and she is completely messed up. We failed in bringing her up. We thought that Lucius and Narcissa could do it...but something went wrong...we were all hoping that she would be in Slytherin at least, but no, the damn girl went and ended herself up in Hufflepuff."

"What the hell is a Hufflepuff?" I said confused. I knew a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, but I didn't know much else."

Bella smiled some. "We wanted to keep you away from sympathizers and muggle-borns, and bring you up the propper way, away from here, away from the wars... and that was the only way we could thing of to do it."

"It's okay," I told them seriously. "I would have done the same if I were you..." I loosened my grip on Bella and looked at Father. "I'm glad I know now... Thank you for telling me..." I leaned on Bel-my mum. "This family reunion still doesn't solve the problem of the cheating bastard," I said, finally remembering why we were gathered in the first place.

Father nodded at me. "He is going to die."

"I want to do it. The Parkinson girl too. Let me have my revenge," I growled.

He smirked at me, a look that seemed almost proud. "Of course, darling. They are yours."

I bowed my head. "Thank you. I'm going to let him have his fun for now."

He nodded at me. I went to him and hugged him quickly, then turned back to Mum and walked out with her.

She looked down at me. "As your mother, I do have to ask you something. Didn't you say that Draco was confused when you called him baby?"

"Yes. He acted like he had never seen me before."

She stopped me and turned to look at me. "Draco is a lot of things, including an ass. When he tried to make you jealous the last time, he wasn't acting like anything else other than his pompous bastard self. He didn't act confused. He knew what he was doing, and he wanted you to know that he knew it. He wouldn't change and do that now, and he certainly wouldn't act like he didn't know who you were. He would have rubbed it in your face and been a git about it. Think about it, Layla."

I sighed. "Look, just because he's your nephew-" I stopped. "Wait. He's your nephew. I'm your daughter." I covered my mouth. "HOLY FUCK I SLEPT WITH MY COUSIN!" I screamed.

Bella looked at me and started to laugh.

"It's not funny! That's not right!"

She calmed down some. "Darling, how else do you think we keep the bloodlines pure? You marry cousins, and the like. Otherwise, there would be none of us left. Besides, my sister was adopted because my mother and her mother were good friends at Hogwarts and when Narcissa's family died, my Mum took her in. Why else do you think she's blonde? Draco is not biologically your cousin..."

I shuttered some. "Thank Merlin. But it's still weird." I sighed a little as I looked down. "And he's still going to die."

Mum sighed, sort of dejected. "Please, just make sure it really is her that he wants..."

"He does really want her," I said moodily."

"Just make sure." I growled some, and she pulled me to her, kissing my head. "Go."

"Wait!" I whined some. "How am I supposed to find it out?"

She smirked at me. "Figure it out, love. You're the Dark Lord's daughter!"

I groaned as she turned to go back to Father and I smacked my hand to the wall. How the hell was I supposed to do this?

I stomped back to my room and flopped on my bed.

I heard a small hiss from my post and sat straight up. "BO!" I screamed with joy, having never been so happy to see him in all my life.

He stared at me. "Yeeesss?" he drawled, looking scared.  
"I need you to do something for me!"

"When don't you?"

"Shut up. I ned you to spy for me."

"On Draco?"

"On Pansy."

"Alright. What exactly am I looking for?"

"Anything."

"Specific," he hissed, but unwound off of my post and slipped off to her room.

I sat on my bed, biting at my nails, which was really a bad habit when my nerves acted up.

It was a good hour later or more when I heard Bo coming back into my room. I jumped up and grabbed him, searching his eyes for an answer. "Well?" I demanded. "What did you find?"


	15. Love Potion

"She's giving him love potions."

I swore under my breath as I put him on the bed, and paced the length of my room. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. She's brewing it up right in front of him. I watched her."

I swore again and kicked out at my dresser before sinking onto my bed.

"So, what are you going to do?" Bo asked, slithering up onto my lap and looking at me.

"There's nothing I can do. He'll just have to be hers..." I said, defeated.

"Beat her ass!" he said, making me giggle some.

"If he's under her control, Bo, there's nothing I can do. I wont' hurt him if he can't help himself. And if I hurt her, I hurt him."

"Isn't there an antidote?"

"I don't do, antidotes, Bo. I do poisons. I guess...I've just lost him."

"Then ask someone else!" he persisted. "I'm sure Blaise would love to hear about this..."

I looked down at him and smiled some. "What a smart little snakey you are!" I cooed at him, letting him wrap around my arm and going off to find Blaise's room.

I knocked on the door. "Zabini, open up," I called.

He pulled it open, and looked at me. "Yeah?"

"How are you and Pansy doing?" I asked, pushing past him into his room and sitting on the open trunk that was at the foot of his bed.

He looked at me funny. "We're fine. How about you and Draco?"

"We broke up before it could even start."

"Oh geez. What did he do this time?"

"Your girlfriend," I said nonchalantly, picking at my nails. I looked up at him, to see his reaction.

He was in shock for a moment, then he gaped at me. "What?"

I made him sit and I looked at him. "Blaise, Pansy is giving him a love potion. He's kukoo for cocopuffs over her now."

"That bitch!" he yelled.

I touched his shoulder knowingly.

"So what are we going to do?" he asked, looking up at me sadly.

"I want to kill her," I growled.

He made a face. "Besides that."

"I'm going to kill her."

He rolled his eyes some. "What about Draco?"

"I'd like to kill him for being so stupid.

"It's a love potion, Layla. He can't help it," he informed me, like I was a child that didn't know any better.

"He was stupid enough to be tricked into it or whatever it was that happened."

Blaise groaned, falling backwards onto his bed. "What's the plan?"

"I don't know, that's why I need you're help, because I don't think you want her dead."

He shook his head at me. "No, I don't want her dead. I do, however want her to suffer for this."

"I can do suffering," I said, thinking of how to do it best. "We could...hmm..."

"What about making her watch you and Draco shag or something."

"Ew, no, I don't want her to become a lesbian," I said, waving it off and making Zabini chuckle a little.

"What if we tied her up and got someone she hates to shag her?"

"Sounds wonderful."

"Great! Who is Pansy most terrified of?"

"Greyback. She hates being in the same house as him."

"Excellent!" I said, jumping up and heading from his room and down towards the training rooms.

I reached the bottom of the steps where the room widened out and saw Fenir working on some sort of pouncing move.

"Fenir," I said, holding my head high, though I honestly was scared of the creature.

He spun on me, growling. "What do you want?"

"Don't growl at me," I hissed, trying to show no fear. I was sure he could smell it.

"What?" he said again, eyeing me.

"You like girls right? Young ones, about my age?"

He nodded, intrigued. "Yes..."

"And you dont have a problem with un-consented intercourse?"

He chuckled, a deep and evil sound. "Of course."

"Pansy Parkinson gave Draco a love potion and he's gaga for her now. I was going to kill them both, but Zabini's son asked me not to kill Pansy, and I can't kill Draco just for being a stupid git."

Fenir looked excited. "So I get the girl?"

"So you get the girl," I smirked. "Now, I want you to have a good time. Just no biting, and no killing her."

He growled some. "Aw, take all of the fun away..."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon..."

I turned on my heel, leading him back up to Pansy's room. "Stay in the hall until I call for you." He nodded some and I went into Pansy's room, finding Draco and her on the bed, snogging like wild creatures. It made me sick.

"Parkinson," I growled.

She looked up at me with a smirk. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say, that before you decide that Draco is really what you want. I thought you might like to have just one more guy. I just want you to make sure that stealing the Dark Lord's daughter's beaux is what you REALLY want to do."

"It is. He wants me, and not you. Get over it Priestly," she snapped, sitting up some.

"No, Parkinson. You gave him a love potion. You thought I wouldn't figure it out. Guess what, I did, bitch."

"So, he's still mine," she snipped. I could tell I was getting under her skin. Perfect.

"Maybe. If you survive today. Fenir!" I yelled, hearing him step into the room behind me.

Pansy automatically paled, and she backed up some. "I'll take it from here," he said, his voice a low growl as he went towards her.

I nodded and looked at Draco on the bed. "Dray, come on," I said to him.

He slowly got up, looking back at Pansy on the bed and the advancing Fenir. "But...Pansy..."

"Is a big girl, and she can take care of herself," I finished for him, taking his hand.

Pansy looked mortified. "Draco, no...No! Don't leave me!"

I glared at her to shut up as I gripped Draco's hand, getting him to look at me. "Baby, look at me, look into my eyes. Remember me, baby, come out of it..."

He looked deep into my eyes, something sparking in them, like a light trying to reignite after being extinguished.

"Layla?"

"Yeah, baby. It's me." I stroked his face. "It's Layla."

He slowly shook it off, and came out of the fog. He gripped his head and groaned. "Ow...my head...Bloody Hell..."

"Shh..." I said gently. "It's alright, love."

Pansy screamed. "No! Draco, NO!"

He spun around and glared at her. "You stupid bitch! Your forced that shit down my throat!"

I held onto Draco, my eye narrowing evilly at her. "Fenir," I hissed, "make her beg for you to stop, make her scream, make her suffer..."

"Make it hell," Draco growled, putting his arm around me and leaving with me, Pansy screaming in terror as Fenir pounced on her.

I smirked some.

Draco smirked some and looked down at me. "Thank you, Layla."

I looked up at him and smacked him across the face, making him yelp. "That was for being stupid enough to not run for your life when you were alone with her," I said, before leaning up to kiss where I had hit.

"Hello! Love potion! And she was in my room when I got there! I pushed her away, but she wouldn't leave, then she forced that shit down my throat!"

"Draco, you're 169 pounds of muscle. She's 103 pounds of worthless."

"She was faster! She's an evil, conniving little bitch!"

I leaned back on my one leg, my arms crossed and an eyebrow raised at him. "And what does that make me?"

"A very very amazing woman..." he said, kissing me, trying to suck up.

"I'm still mad at you," I told him as he kissed me. "Love potion or not."

"Tell me what to do," he muttered, kissing at my neck.

"I don't know. I was going to kill you both," I told him.

That made him stop and look at me. "Gee, thank you."

"Draco, you looked right at me and said 'Baby? Pansy is my only baby.' I was hurt, I was upset, and I am the daughter of two ex_tremely_ powerful wizards."

"Again, love potion," he said, holding my waist.

"I didn't really care at that point, even if I would have known."

"Yeah, well, now you know. And it wasn't me, nor was it my fault."

"Doesn't matter," I said with a shrug. "Still mad."

"I'll fix it," he promised.

I smirked some as I patted his cheek. "I'm sure you will, love. I'm sure you will." I walked away from him, my hips swaying some.

"Damn..." I heard him mutter from behind me.

I smirked a little. "Coming, Draco?" I asked.

He caught up with me. "Hell yes."

I laughed some and let him drag me off to have one more day of fun before my father's celibacy rule came into play.


End file.
